


All Roads Lead to Charming

by Harlee_Quinn



Series: Jaxene Universe [7]
Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-29
Updated: 2013-12-29
Packaged: 2018-01-06 14:07:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 122,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1107766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harlee_Quinn/pseuds/Harlee_Quinn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Almost 4 years after leaving Charming, Jolene Morrow returns when she learns about the death of a high-ranking member's Old Lady and is reunited with the love of her life, Jax Teller. But after all this time, can they regain what they have lost?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Hard Road Back

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

It rained more often than not in Seattle, the sky perpetually overcast and grey, with the sun seemingly making an appearance only a few times a year. Today was one of those few days that the strong, early morning sun decided to show its face and drifted through the window blinds and into the bedroom. As the sun fell across the face of the occupant in the double bed, a moan emanated from the small figure. She lifted her arm to shield her eyes from the intrusion, hoping that she could ignore it and continue sleeping. Suddenly, the blaring sound of the alarm clock obliterated the peace and quiet of the room.

Reaching out to slam her hand down on the piercing wail of the unwanted alarm, Jolene Morrow let herself fall back against her pillows, exhausted and bleary-eyed from lack of sleep. Unfortunately, she was also now fully awake. _Well, fuck!_ She thought. _How could I forget to turn that damn thing off_?

Cutting loose with a long and tired yawn, Jolene rolled onto her side. Grabbing the pack of smokes and lighter next to the alarm clock, Jolene lit up a cigarette and took a long, deep drag. Lying back on her bed as she lazily blew smoke rings towards the ceiling, she contemplated whether she should get up or try to fall asleep again. She had worked the late shift last night, not getting in until after four o'clock that morning.

Even though it was barely nine o'clock now, Jolene knew that once she was awake, she was awake for the duration and there was no point in staying in bed if she had shit to get done. Finishing her cigarette, she rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom to shower. Turning the water on as hot as she could stand it, Jolene allowed it to pour over her achy muscles while she re-evaluated her present state of affairs for the millionth-and-one time. For the most part, it was never a pleasant reflection.

Stepping out of the shower and pulling on a clean pair of thong underwear and a faded and oversized SAMCRO t-shirt, Jolene padded barefoot through her small apartment and into the even smaller kitchen. Deciding to start her Sunday morning off with her usual ritual, Jolene turned on the old laptop that was sitting on top of the small kitchen island and propped herself up on a bar stool. The computer was refurbished as Jolene couldn't afford a new one, but it did what she needed. While she waited for it to boot up, she went about making a small pot of coffee.

Thinking that the coffee would brew before she'd ever get on the Internet, Jolene was pleasantly surprised as she was finally able to log on. It still amazed her that a business in Charming had finally joined the 21st Century and she was grateful for it. Being able to read the _Charming Gazette's_ online edition was one of Jolene's guilty pleasures. Ever since she had cut ties with Charming and her SAMCRO family, it had been a matter of pride to be able to survive on her own, without any help from, or communication with, the people she had left behind. So when she stumbled onto the website over six months ago, Jolene made use of it to keep an eye on her former hometown.

Jolene had tried to keep her little forays into the idyllic world of Charming to herself, but Ronnie had unexpectedly shown up at her apartment one morning and busted her in the act of surfing the net. Jolene tried to play it off as if it was nothing, but Ronnie said that Jolene could lie to her, but she shouldn't lie to herself. And Ronnie was right. Even after all this time, Jolene loved and sorely missed her family, her heart, body, and soul aching for one person in particular.

Jolene knew that she couldn't find a truer friend than Ronnie Armstrong, a childhood friend who had welcomed her with open arms when Jolene had fled San Diego over three years ago to Seattle. Ronnie had proven to be a shelter in the storm and a great comfort for Jolene. No woman should have to go through what Jolene had without the benefit of a deep friendship with another woman. Ronnie was there for her during the worst time of her life, helping her to deal with so many losses when she had left Charming and had helped Jolene through the times when she literally felt like she wanted to die. So when Ronnie would call her out on her bullshit, Jolene tried to accept it as words that were coming from the heart.

At first, Jolene would go as long as a week, maybe even two before she would break down and go to the website again. There she would read about the activities in the small town, the different local and charity events, including Gemma's annual fundraiser, Taste of Charming, the political maneuverings of the Hale family and, of course, the antics of her SAMCRO family. But the more she indulged in her addiction to the website, the more homesick she became and Jolene had to force herself into a weekly routine of going online only on Sunday mornings.

As the website was coming up, Jolene fixed herself a large cup of strong black coffee and, as she settled back down in front of her computer, her gaze fell across the screen. Suddenly, Jolene's coffee mug fell from her fingers and hit the kitchen floor with a shattering crash. She barely noticed the hot coffee splashing against her bare legs as she looked on in horror at the attention grabbing headline:

**LOCAL WOMAN DIES IN HORRIFIC CAR ACCIDENT**

A picture of Luann Delaney, perched on the front of her candy apple red convertible appeared below the headline.

"Oh my God!" Jolene cried. She felt a vise clamp down on her chest as she tried to get air into her lungs as she focused on the picture of Luann, dressed to the nines in what was obviously the very latest in designer gear for the aging gracefully ex-porn star. She quickly scanned the following article:

_Luann Delaney, 49, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the Emergency Room at St. Thomas Hospital on Friday night. According to Deputy Chief David Hale, Mrs. Delaney was returning home from Stockton when her car spun out of control southbound on the I-22 and went down an embankment. It has been determined that Mrs. Delaney was not wearing a seatbelt and was subsequently propelled out of her 2005 Lexus convertible when the vehicle flipped over. The other passenger, Gemma Teller-Morrow, 51, also a resident of Charming known for her fund raising and charitable acts, and the wife of Clarence "Clay" Morrow of Teller-Morrow Auto Services, was also seriously injured, but has since been released from the hospital._

_Mrs. Delaney, a former actress, now turned Producer and Director, was one of the principal owners of Cara Cara Productions, an extremely successful promoter of adult entertainment films. She was known as a dedicated and hardworking woman by all of her employees._

_"She was a complete jewel," said Dondo, one of Mrs. Delaney's former actors, recently promoted to the Director's chair at Cara Cara Productions. "She was my mentor in the business and took great care to let me know that I was more than just an actor with a big [expletive deleted]. She will be truly, truly missed."_

_Mrs. Delaney is survived by her husband Otto Delaney, who is currently an inmate at Stockton Correctional Facility. Funeral services have been scheduled for this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in Dubrowski's Funeral Home, 143 North McGuff Street, Charming, CA **,** with interment to follow at Charming Memorial Park._

As Jolene looked at the photo of a bright, happy, and full of life Luann, she broke down and wept bitterly.

* * *

Otto looked up as the guard opened the door to admit another visitor. He had just returned to his cell from laundry detail when word came that someone was here to see him, which seemed to be the norm lately. He had to be grateful for that. The support he was getting from his brothers was overwhelming and the only thing that was keeping him focused and sane. The Club had gone the extra mile for him and had Rosen apply for a temporary release from Stockton Prison so that Otto could attend Luann's funeral. Unfortunately, because of Otto's "proclivity towards violence" and his "inability to get along with other inmates in a peaceful and orderly fashion," the request had been summarily denied.

Otto was having a hard time adjusting to the fact that Luann was gone. Having accepted his loss of freedom over four years ago, Otto had been pretty philosophical about it all, never believing that he could end up losing the one thing that he had left to live for. Otto never thought that Luann's last visit to him would be the last time he would ever see her again. She had just been up to see him two weekends ago for their first conjugal or "Sunday Visit" in over six months. Otto had been the instigator of an altercation in which another inmate ended up in the infirmary minus part of an ear. As a result, Otto had spent a month in solitary and had all of his conjugal privileges revoked.

Maybe if he hadn't been such a fuckin' hothead, maybe the shit wouldn't have hit the fan, maybe the Warden would have shown mercy, and maybe he would have allowed Otto to be present when his wife was laid to rest. Maybe Luann would have been up here with him instead of in Stockton with Gemma on the I-22.

Maybes could drive a man _insane_.

"Delaney," A C.O. called out. "Your visitor's up next."

Otto figured it was Bobby or maybe Clay who had stopped by to fill him in on more of the details for the funeral. In spite of his current situation, his brothers were making sure that Otto was involved as much as possible in making the final arrangements for his wife. With many of the charters coming to pay their respects, his Club's Pres was making sure it was a final send-off befitting the old lady of one of SAMCRO's most loyal members. So when the door opened and a small figure walked in, Otto was truly shocked.

Jolene Morrow, her trademark long black curls pulled back into a low ponytail, stood in the doorway, wearing a black leather jacket, black V-neck sweater with skin tight jeans, and black knee-hi leather stiletto boots. She strode slowly and somewhat hesitantly across the room until she was facing Otto.

"Hey, Big O." Jolene's voice shook with emotion. Without saying a word, Otto stood up with open arms, enveloping Jolene in a bear hug as she ran into them.

* * *

Big Otto and Jolene were sitting at a small table towards the back of the Visitor's Center. It took them out of the middle of the room and gave them a little more privacy.

"I can't believe you're here." Otto said, still shaking his head in stunned, but happy disbelief. He looked at Jolene. She had always been a beautiful girl, but now at 25, she had metamorphosed into an even more beautiful, slim, but full-figured woman with lush curves. And a hard woman too, if Otto's guess was right. He could see it in her always-expressive eyes. The last four years had done a number on her. "You're the last person I would have ever expected to see today."

"When I found out about Luann, I had to come." Jolene whispered softly, her bright eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"Who told you?" Otto wondered.

"No one told me. I found out from the _Charming Gazette's_ online website." Jolene replied. "Otto, what happened? The article didn't have all the details. How's Gemma?"

"Gemma's fine, sweetheart. She suffered a concussion and got banged up a bit, broke her arm, but she's fine. I haven't seen her, but Clay tells me she was very lucky." Otto sighed as he shrugged his shoulders. "She and Luann were heading home after a girls-night-out in Stockton. Their typical Friday night, you know, dinner and a movie. Apparently, Luann had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, not enough for her to be legally drunk, but enough so that her reaction time was slow and she was buzzed enough to forget to put on her seat belt." He took a deep breath, which came out in a shudder and Jolene's heart tightened in her chest as it seemed the tough guy former VP was going to cry. He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them with his thumb and index finger as Jolene held onto his other hand.

Taking another deep breath, Otto forced himself to continue. "Luann managed to avoid a head-on collision when a tractor trailer jackknifed the divider on the I-22 on their way back to Charming. Unfortunately, even though the trailer barely clipped her on the back, the car spun out of control, flipping over and down the embankment at about 90 miles an hour. Luann was ejected from the car and died on impact. It could have been a lot worse, but thank God Gemma had been wearing her seat belt."

Hearing the details of the accident was hard enough for Jolene, but watching Big Otto's pain and suffering as he relived each moment of the horrifying accident, as if he had witnessed it himself, broke her heart. Aside from the MC, Otto's world had revolved around his old lady. It was an unfair twist of fate that, so soon after losing his freedom, he should lose her as well. Jolene closed her tear-filled eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks that Gemma had survived such a horrible accident with non-life threatening injuries. She loved Luann and was devastated by her death, but Jolene knew that losing Gemma as well would have had a crippling effect on her.

"How are you holding up?" Jolene asked as Otto grabbed her hand with both of his and squeezed gently.

"It's been hard—the hardest thing that I have ever had to deal with in my life. I find solace in that at least we were able to spend the weekend before last together. She was so happy, too." He flashed Jolene a quick, but broken-hearted smile. "We hadn't been together for a few months. My fault, of course." Otto said bitterly.

"Are they allowing you a furlough so you can at least attend the funeral?" Jolene asked hopefully. The man deserved the chance to say his final good-bye in person.

"No." Otto's deep blue eyes met Jolene's. "The Warden and I have been involved in a pissing contest for a long time now. He doesn't like me very much. Can you imagine that?" He chuckled good-naturedly, forcing a slight smile out of Jolene. "He finally has one up on me and exerted his authority by classifying me a flight risk, which is funny considering that my only reason for even contemplating an escape has already been taken from me."

Jolene was feeling his pain so keenly, she couldn't avoid crying softly as Big Otto patted her hand. "It's okay, baby girl. Don't worry about me. I've said my goodbyes to Luann and I'm at peace with myself." He gently swiped away her tears with his thumb. "I know how much you loved her and she loved you right back. I'm _really_ glad you came. I'm just sorry that it took this to bring you back."

Jolene sniffed loudly. "I'm sorry too, but—"

"No buts, Jolene. I may be just one of your many surrogate fathers, but you have truly always been like a daughter to me. I have no problem speaking my mind with you. _It's been over three years_. Where the fuck have you been?" Otto demanded.

Jolene's shoulder shifted uncomfortably as she pulled her hand away from his. "I was where I needed to be. I've was living my life and, until recently, I was working as a teacher." As Otto glared at her, Jolene replied heatedly. "I was alive, okay? I was out of Charming and out of the Life, just like my so-called old man wanted. I really saw no point in keeping in touch."

" _Really?_ That justifies you dropping off the face of the earth? Your family has been worried sick about you. You left town while you were still recovering and they had no clue if you were alive and well or had ended up an unclaimed Jane Doe in a morgue somewhere." Otto said grimly.

"With all due respect, Otto, the day I left Charming, _no one_ tried to stop me. My family broke my already-damaged heart by just letting me go. I have a hard time believing that anyone has missed me all that much." Jolene said bitterly.

"Well, you thought wrong, little girl. Everyone, from your father and mother to Bobby, _me_ , and the rest of charter, we were all broken to pieces when you left. You surprised us all by what a selfish little brat you turned out to be." Otto accused as Jolene's eyes widened in shock and pain. "You mean to tell me that you never even thought about picking up the phone to call your dad just to let him know that, at the very least, you were still alive?"

"I thought about Dad all the time." Jolene replied in a small voice. Her heart broke every time she thought about her father, her knight in banged up armor. Even though Otto was right about her being selfish—brat, on the other hand, was debatable—Jolene had her reasons for staying away.

"And let's not forget Jax—" Otto started.

And just like that, Jolene's demeanor did a complete 180, her anger blazing as hot as a furnace. "Oh really? You wanna talk about selfish little brats, let's start with your VP. No, you know what—let's not. Forget Jax! I sure as hell did. I refuse to be cast as the villain in this. I was only guilty of doing what he wanted me to, which was to go on with my life without him. You weren't around when your VP decided that his life would be a lot better off if I wasn't a part of it." Jolene spit out.

Otto was shaking his head. "Jo, from how I heard it told, it was a little more complicated than that. What he did, he did for your—"

"Please! Please spare me your 'rah-rah-Jax' speech. I know brothers stick together, but this is a goddamn joke. You weren't there. Had you witnessed the humiliation and devastation I suffered at the hands of your VP, you'd understand and you'd see that it wasn't for my own good." Jolene said softly, but fiercely. "I took two bullets in my chest for that man, bullets that were meant for him. My reward for being the old lady I knew he needed me to be was to have that Reno Whore show up in Charming, all smiles and giggles, just so she could rub her two passion-filled weeks with _my_ old man in my face. After that very public humiliation, each and every fuckin' croweater on that lot took a swing at me because they felt they could, so don't tell me that what he did was for my own good. Walking out of Charming and leaving him behind is what _I_ did for my own good." She grabbed her purse and started to rise as if she was about to leave.

Putting his hand on her shoulder, Big Otto shoved her firmly back down and into the seat, hard enough so that the metal chair made screeching noises as it slid across the floor. "Delaney? What's going on over there?" The C.O. called out from his corner of the room.

As the guard started to walk over towards them, Jolene called out, "Everything's fine officer. No worries." The guard eyeballed them both, then slowly backed away, and returned to his post by the door.

"You need to calm down." Otto said sternly as he looked hard into her eyes. Jolene wavered as Otto was still a fully-patched member. She nodded her assent as her temper subsided.

"Now it's your turn to listen. I'm not gonna justify anything Jax may have done by saying its just part of the Life. I have no doubt that you were badly hurt, humiliated even. You definitely got a raw deal, sweetheart, but can you honestly sit here, look me in the eye, and say that Jax did what he did because he hated you or because, in his own warped and fucked up way, he loved you too damn much?" Otto challenged.

Jolene knew where Otto was going with his line of reasoning and knew in her heart that he had a point, but she still wasn't willing to admit it. "That's kind of hard to answer, Otto, especially when that love that Jax supposedly has for me was so strong, it compelled him to marry the Reno Whore." Jolene grumbled sarcastically.

Otto quirked an eyebrow. "How did you find out about Jax marrying Wendy? From that website?" He tried to alleviate the tense situation with a little humor. "I know Gemma's something of a rocking Martha Stewart, but I didn't think she would go all Emily Post and start announcing SAMCRO weddings in the local rag."

Jolene shook her head and smiled ruefully. "No, I got that little nugget from an alternative source." Thinking about the conversation that took place several months ago, Jolene remembered how the revelation that Jax was now a married man had totally ripped her to shreds, even after all this time away from Charming and from him.

"Is that all your source had to say 'cause I'm thinkin' maybe you haven't heard the good news." Otto said as Jolene raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Jax suffered from buyer's remorse almost immediately. He filed for divorce so damn fast, I think that cranked-up croweater's head is still spinning."

Jolene hid her shock well, but Otto could see the hope in her luminous green eyes. "That's not true." She almost whispered disbelievingly.

"You calling your Uncle Elvis a liar because Bobby couldn't wait to tell me about it almost eight months ago. As a matter of fact, in another six months, Jax should be a free man in more ways than one." Otto stated. "Jo, there's something else that you need to know."

Jolene cracked a smile. "You mean the fact that Jax and Opie are doing time in Chino?" As Otto raised one eyebrow, she nodded. "My source dropped that bomb on me, too."

"Did your 'source' tell you that Jax had been searching for you almost non-stop since you fell off the grid?" Otto asked. Jolene swallowed hard as her heart skipped a beat, the memory of the day Jax had shown up at Ronnie's house seared on her soul. Misinterpreting the look on her face, Otto continued, "You can deny it all you want, Jolene, but you know better than anyone that the love Jax has for you wasn't going to just wither and die. Jax has been a broken man going on four years now. According to Bobby, if he didn't have the Club and his obsession with finding you again, there's no telling how long he would have lasted. Going to jail probably saved his life. You remember what he was like after his first girlfriend left town?" Otto asked and Jolene nodded slightly, remembering the drunken lout Jax had become, picking fights in bars with the hope that someone would put him out of his misery. "Well, you were the real deal for him, baby girl, and losing you fucked him up far worse. He hasn't been the same since. I was kinda glad when he stopped coming to see me because it broke my heart to see my brother merely going through the motions of living. He was a dead man walking and, I have to tell you, Jo, you may look good on the outside, but the eyes never lie. I know you still love him. It's written all over your face."

Jolene had to close her eyes in order to stop the tears from running down her cheeks.

For the first time since learning of Luann's passing, Otto felt his heart beat with the rhythm of joy as he realized he was finally getting through to her. "The love that you two have for each other is a rare thing and instead of looking for a way to work shit out, you've wasted the past four years pining for each other. Do you understand what I would do to have those four lost years to share with Luann?" Leaning back in his chair, Otto shook his head. "If I could go back in time, I would do anything to be with her again, but I can't. It's too late for me." He pointed a finger at Jolene. "The best advice I can give you is to fix the mistakes of the past and change the course of your future before it's too late."

"How can I possibly fix this?" Jolene cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "It's been a long time, Otto. No doubt we're both totally different people now. There's just too much pain and bitterness to overcome." _Too many things lost_ , she thought to herself sadly.

"You'll never know unless you try and you can start by getting your ass back to Charming. Reclaim your family, reclaim your home, and reclaim your old man." Otto stated forcefully. "Jo, don't let this opportunity slip through your fingers. With that crank-sucking croweater as good as gone, this could be the only second chance you and Jax get. Don't let your stubborn streak make you throw away the chance of finding true happiness with your old man again."

As Otto's words poured over her, Jolene wondered if going back was really at all possible. Ronnie's admonition that she stop lying to herself reverberated in her head. The reason she spent so much time devouring as much information as she could find about Charming was because she desperately missed her family and her home. The last four years without them—without Jax—have been devastating. Although she had enjoyed some moments of happiness, for the most part, her life has been one painful and stressful series of events after another. As she drove to Stockton on her way to see Otto, Jolene had almost convinced herself that Luann's death was a sign and that maybe, with Jax in prison, now might be the time for her to go home, if only for a little while. But Ronnie was right. She may be able to lie to those around her, but Jolene couldn't lie to herself.

_I miss Charming and my family, but it's the love of my life that I need the most._

In the three-plus years since she had been gone, there had been other men. Men who tried to enter her life, wanting to be her man, making promises to be there for her no matter what, but there was ever only going to be one man for Jolene. She had loved Jax since she was ten years old and, no matter how hard she tried, Jolene knew she could never love another. Maybe now was the time to take that difficult first step towards a reconciliation.

Jolene looked up at Otto. The hard glint that he saw reflected in her wide green eyes was enough for him. "So before you go home, will you do something for me?"

Jolene flashed him a half-smile. "Anything for you." She said, acknowledging her unspoken agreement to return home.

"First, go see your old man in Chino. He needs you, now more so than ever."

"And second?"

"I want you to represent me at the service for Luann this coming Saturday. I want—" Otto's voice broke a little, before he steadied it. "I want you to put her favorite flowers on her grave for me. She really loved yellow roses."

"I'd be honored to represent you." Jolene squeezed his hand. "And, Otto? Thank you."

Otto gave her a sad smile. "What for, sweetheart?"

"For caring so much about your brother—and me—and for giving me the kick in the ass I needed." Jolene replied as she reached across the table and wrapped her arms around the man she was proud and happy to have in her life again.

Stubborn she may be, but Jolene wasn't delusional. After four years of hard lessons learned, it was time to go back home. Jolene knew it was destined to be a hard road back, but nothing worthwhile was ever easy.

* * *

"So do you know who's here to see me?" Jax asked as he was escorted by a big and burly C.O. along one of the many dingy corridors of Chino Correctional Facility. "I wasn't expecting another visit for a couple of weeks."

Billy shrugged his huge shoulders. "Yeah, I've been looking forward to that visit, too. Man, that little fat dude sure can make some killa banana bread. A slice of that with a cup of coffee in the morning is pure heaven. You still going to break me off a piece of that, right?" The surprisingly soft-spoken guard asked expectantly.

"Hey, man, you know I'll look out for you. Just keep looking out for me and Ope." Jax grinned as they approached the door leading into a small room adjacent to the Visitor's Center.

For a C.O., Billy Jenkins had proven to be quite useful for scoring smokes, weed and on occasion, some really good porn. It had gotten relatively easy for Jax to pass off the contraband cash he got during his visits from Gemma and his brothers and pass it along to Billy before he was searched again once his visitors had left. Lately, though, Billy had developed quite a taste for Bobby's organic banana bread, so when Bobby came to visit, he always made sure to bring two loaves for Jax and Opie. After going through the scanners and getting the all clear, Jax would always break off half a loaf for Billy.

Upon entering the Inmate Processing Section, Jax was put through the normal procedure before an inmate can see his visitor, including a thorough pat down to confirm that he had nothing illegal on his person and then he was passed back to Billy to be escorted into the Visitor's Center. Jax nodded his thanks at Billy as he moved him towards his favorite table at the northeast corner of the rectangular shaped room. Right above the table was a series of small windows with a view of several cabins that were reserved for use by inmates and their spouses for conjugals and family visits with their children. As Jax sat down in the cheap metal chair, the C.O. retreated to take his position against the wall several feet away.

The table that Jax had chosen was far enough from the others so that his discussions with his visitors could not be easily overheard. In that corner far away from the rest of the inmates and their visitors, Jax could fantasize that he was really sitting down with Gemma at her kitchen table. When Bobby would come, sometimes he would imagine that he was sitting at one of the tables across from the bar at the Clubhouse smacking down on Bobby's famous Chili with jalapeno corn bread and a super-sized mug of the sugary sweet coffee he loved.

But sometimes Jax would sit at that table and stare at the door to the Visitor's Center and imagine it opening to reveal Jolene. And each time the door would open and it wasn't her, it was the worst feeling imaginable.

Having served eight months of a 14-month sentence had given Jax a lot of time to contemplate the miserable existence that was currently his lot in life. Having all this "me time" to analyze and re-analyze every major decision that he had ever made about Jolene over the last four years had given Jax clarity of mind and purpose of thought that was mind-blowing.

 _Bottom line_ , Jax thought, _I'm a complete and utter asshole_.

He had pretty much come to that conclusion shortly after Jolene had left Charming. He missed her so badly that Jax started doing "surveillance" runs to San Diego. He had convinced himself that he was taking the seven-plus hour ride just to make sure that she was safe, but sitting here in the cold light of day, Jax realized that he had been more like a stalker and a perv to boot. That feeling only intensified when he remembered getting caught red-handed by Jolene. She had looked so good and he had missed her so much that the thought of being with her again overrode any sense he had. He had almost convinced her that they should go back to her apartment for a little quality time between the sheets, with the condition that it was a no-strings attached deal and that things would continue the way they had since she had left Charming.

Jax cringed in his chair as he recalled the bitter words that spewed out of her mouth as she disabused him of the notion that he could treat her like she was no better than a sweetbutt on a run. He had returned to Charming more like a battered dog with its tail between its legs than a powerful outlaw biker.

It was only when Jolene disappeared completely off the map several weeks later that Jax was forced to face the overwhelming truth that he could never let her go. His searches took him all over California and Washington. He had even tracked her bitter egg donor down in Tacoma, but Valentina hadn't seen hide nor hair of Jolene since she had returned to Charming when she was 17.

Jax sighed as he ran his hand through his short hair, across his face, and down to the goatee that Jolene had loved so much. Jax's feelings of urgency only increased when Bobby brought the tragic news of Luann Delaney's death in a car accident. There was no doubt in his mind that Otto, his brother and his mentor, was devastated by his loss. Jax was further shaken to his core when he heard that Gemma had been with her that night. Nearly losing his mother had convinced Jax that losing his old lady was a wrong he had to move heaven and earth to fix before it was too late.

 _I have to get Jolene back_.

In reality, Jax realized, _wanting_ to get Jolene back had never been the problem. It was _finding_ her that had proved to be so elusive. The tragedy of the Delaneys' ill-fated love had Jax feeling an urgency that was almost too much to bear. It hit him rather suddenly that if he didn't do everything in his power to get his woman back and soon, he may never get to see her again. He may never get the chance to say to her "I love you" and hear her say "I love you more" back.

Only now, in prison, had Jax come to understand what Otto had said to him all those years ago.

_That's what the love of a good woman does to you, bro. Makes you forget all the past bullshit. It makes you feel like Superman 'cause with it, you feel like you can do anything. Plus, there's no greater feeling, Jax than having the woman you love look at you like no other man exists. Like she knows you were made for her and only her and trust me, this is something Jolene's known for years . . . Don't fuck it up._

And what did he do? He did precisely the opposite and fucked it up royally.

But he was going to make this right. Jax had a plan and whoever came to see him today had better be ready to take down some instructions because Jax Teller was on a mission to find Jolene Morrow—even if he had to do it from prison.

So lost in his recriminations and plans, he barely registered the voice over the P.A. system, "Teller. Visitor!"

Jax stood up as he saw the door open.

* * *

In a small waiting room adjacent to the Visitor's Center, Jolene was anxiously waiting to see Jax. It had been over an hour since she had gone through the initial identification process as it was her first time visiting the state facility. Finally, after going through a gauntlet of questions and producing several forms of identification, she was escorted to the final waiting area before she would be allowed to see Jax.

Jolene's head was down as she nervously wrung her hands. Her anxious state was noticeable to other visitors.

"First time?"

Jolene looked up and saw a woman, in her mid-to-late twenties, sitting in a chair opposite Jolene. With her were two children, a boy and a girl, approximately five and seven years old. The girl was sitting quietly reading a book, while her brother made serious boy-noises as his thumbs quickly navigated over the electronic game he was working maniacally.

Jolene smiled ruefully. "You can tell, huh?"

The woman laughed, exposing a large white smile made more intriguing with the little gap between her two front teeth. "Girl, I can pick out the newbies a mile away. Here to see your man?"

Jolene nodded.

"Me too. It's going to be a good visit, too. The whole weekend, just me, my man, and our babies." As Jolene raised her eyebrows, the woman explained, "They have a bunch of cabins here for inmates who are legally married." She waived her left hand to show off a modest gold wedding band. "You married or are you a girlfriend?"

"Well, we're not married and it's been a while since we've seen each other, so I don't think I can technically be classified as his girlfriend." Jolene replied, a little sad.

"Well damn, sister, that's too bad. Girlfriends can't get laid, so I'm afraid you fresh out of luck, but at least you can still see him. You real nervous?"

Jolene nodded again. She had already thrown up twice in the women's bathroom.

"Don't be. He love you?"

"I think so. No, I know so," Jolene replied confidently.

"Well, shit, girl, then go get your man!"

Just then the door to the room opened and all of the occupants looked at the C.O. standing in the doorway. "Jolene Morrow? You're up next."

Shakily, Jolene got up to her feet.

"Now don't you worry none. When he gets a load of you in that outfit, I guarantee you won't have any problems." The woman said with a loud laugh and a wink.

"Thanks." Jolene smiled. "It was really nice talking to you." She said as she walked towards the door.

* * *

At first, Jax thought it was a mirage.

 _God, I've been thinking about Jolene so damn much that I'm hallucinating_.

He saw the woman hesitantly walk into the room. She sure as hell made an entrance wearing a sexy off-the-shoulder deep green blouse, a wide silver and black leather belt draped around a supremely fine-looking ass showcased in skintight black leggings, with a pair of bad-ass biker chick boots, and her cascade of long, thick dark curls falling across her shoulders and down her back . . . And it was then that Jax focused on her beautiful face with trembling full lips and moist, wide seafoam green eyes.

Jax couldn't breathe. He tried, but the air simply wouldn't enter his lungs. Jax staggered on his feet as waves of emotion hit him dead center in his chest. He finally attempted to speak, but it came out like a whispered prayer, "Jolene?" Then he shouted "JOLENE?"

Like a deer caught in the headlights, Jolene was cemented to the floor, transfixed by the sight of her old man for the first time in almost four years. One moment Jolene was standing in the middle of the room and in the next, as an entire room full of onlookers stared, she barreled across the room at a dead run and leapt into Jax's outstretched arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. Jax's arms closed around Jolene's small frame with stunning force, as his lips bore down on hers.

And for a brief moment, time simply stopped.

* * *

Like all the other onlookers, Billy was caught up in the obviously heartfelt reunion, but rules were rules. As this reunion was quickly turning into a grope fest, Billy saw one of his supervisors, a middle-aged sour puss by the name of Wilson, heading in Teller's direction and it dawned on Billy that he had better break them up and in a hurry.

"Hey, man?" Billy tapped Jax on the shoulder, but got no response. "Yo, my man!" Billy raised his soft-spoken voice a little louder, but Jax and Jolene were in another world of lips, tongues, and roving hands.

Finally, Billy grabbed hold of Jax by his right arm and forcibly dragged him away, forcing Jax to drop Jolene onto her feet. As Jax's left fist came up to connect with the C.O.'s face, Billy stopped Jax's balled up hand in mid-air. "Either you get yourself under control or your woman will be escorted out of here. Now what's it going to be playa?" Billy's dark eyes bore into Jax.

Just then C.O. Wilson intruded on the conversation. "Teller, do you have a problem remembering the rules around here? If so, maybe you'd like a day or two in solitary and a ban on all visitors to help you remember."

Jax's nostrils flared as he realized that all he wanted to do was to pound the pasty-white grunt into the ground, but as he looked over and saw Jolene making tiny head shakes, Jax backed down. "It won't happen again."

"Good." Wilson said snidely, nodding at Billy. "Do your job and keep him in line or I'm gonna have to write you up."

"No problem." Billy said. As his supervisor walked away, Billy nodded over to the table. "Why don't y'all sit down and try to behave yourselves?"

Jax nodded, then held out his hand to Billy. "I'm so sorry, bro."

Billy took his hand. "Go be with your lady."

Jax took Jolene by the hand and walked over to his table. Sitting across from each other with Jolene's small hands locked in between his, it was taking Jax a few minutes to believe what all his senses were telling him. He wasn't dreaming.

Jax was shaking his head, his bright blue eyes moist as he drank her in. "Happy to see me?" Jolene teased as she lost the battle to keep her tears from falling.

"You have no idea, darlin'." Jax smiled. Momentarily forgetting Billy's advice to stay on his best behavior, and ignoring the rules barring physical contact during a visit, Jax leaned over the table as he pulled her towards him and kissed her. Pulling away slightly, Jax chuckled as he pressed his forehead to hers and Jolene ran her hand over the hair on his jaw. "I've been living for this day for a long time, Jo. Now that I'm seeing you and feeling you, everything I wanted to say is gone."

Jolene closed her eyes as Jax cupped her face in his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs as he pressed another kiss on her lips. "I don't know what more I can say, except that I love you, darlin'." Jolene's eyes flew open as he lovingly held her face steady. "I have always loved you and I will love you forever. I know that may be hard for you to believe right now, considering everything that's gone down between us, but it's true. Jolene, baby, I want to spend the rest of my life making up for what I did to you, if you'll let me."

As Jax spoke, a steady stream of silent tears continued to roll down Jolene's face. As soon as the door had opened into the Visitor's Center and she had laid her eyes on him, Jolene realized that despite all of the hurt and pain he had caused her, Jax was the only man she was ever meant to be with and she would do anything to make that happen again.

"Please, say something, anything. Let me know what you're feeling, Jo." Jax implored.

Jolene broke free from Jax's hold so that she could wipe her face. "Can't you tell?" She smiled. As she pulled her hands away, Jolene chuckled as she saw they were covered in mascara. "That bitch!" She exclaimed. As Jax looked at her like she had two heads, Jolene replied sheepishly, "The sales clerk promised me that this stuff wouldn't run. I paid way too much for that mascara because I wanted to look perfect for you."

With both hands, Jax lovingly caressed her face again. "You are perfect, darlin', even though you're looking a little Goth right about now." He teased.

Jolene couldn't resist flashing him a half-grin to go along with the stink eye she was giving him. _There's my_ girl, he grinned and in that moment Jax knew that things would be okay.

"At least I can clean up my face, Teller. I leave Charming for a minute and come back to find that not only have you forgotten how to compliment a woman, but you went along and did this." Jolene teased as she grabbed hold of Jax's short hair and tugged. "What the hell have you done to _my_ hair?"

"Baby, I had to cut it. You know I'm too pretty for prison." Jax winked while dazzling her with a wicked smile.

 _He's right_ , Jolene sighed. _He is too damn pretty_. Gone, though, was the youthful pretty boy with the sinewy physique she had last seen swaggering towards Ronnie's front door so long ago. In his place was a beautiful and muscular manly man with laugh lines and whose eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. In the four years since she had left Charming, Jax had not only changed physically, but mentally too. She could see the harshness of the life he lived reflected in his eyes. But the joy she also saw pouring out of that intense blue gaze showed her just how much he had truly missed her.

"Where have you been, darlin'?" Jax asked quietly as he gripped her hands and squeezed.

"Jax, I know I have a lot to account for, but—" Jolene started. She sighed softly and came dangerously close to breaking down completely.

"What is it, baby?" Jax asked quietly as he ran his fingers through her hair. _Oh my God_ , he marveled as he realized how much he had missed her hair and those beautiful bright green eyes.

"I missed you, so much." Jolene closed her eyes briefly and Jax could hear the pain in her voice. "Even when I hated you, thought the worst about you, and tried to forget you, I couldn't convince myself to stop loving you." She said looking up at him. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want the chance to start over somehow, but—"

"But what?" Jax's heart tightened painfully in his chest.

"I reconciled with what happened between us a long time ago, Jax." Jolene started, looking Jax straight in the eyes. "It was hard, but I understood and accepted it for what it was and tried to move past it. At that point, what had happened was no longer as important as the fact that I still loved you and missed you so much. So much that I almost came back."

"Why didn't you?" Jax was almost afraid to ask.

Jolene shook her head sadly. "I'm sure if you think real hard, you'll know the answer to that question." She replied, incapable of mentioning his marriage to the fucking crank whore from Reno.

"Oh shit." Jax nearly moaned, the realization of how much he had really fucked up hitting him square on the jaw as he ran his hands over his face and through his closely cropped hair.

"Out of everything that's happened between us, that's the one thing I just don't know if I can move past." Jolene said with a touch of anger and hurt in her voice.

Jax was heartbroken. He started, then stopped, then started again. Finally, he said "Jolene, you can never think of Wendy as my wife. I don't. She was a horrible, horrible mistake in a long, sad series of bad decisions that I made." He started explaining, but the look of utter disappointment on her face was tearing at his heart.

"Why then? Why would you marry someone you didn't love?" Jolene asked. " _Did_ you love her, Jax?"

"No." Jax insisted. He rubbed his face hard to try and clear his thoughts. "By the time you fell off the grid, I was a miserable fuckin' prick, Jolene. Nothing made me happy and I fell back into old habits. There were _a lot_ of women and _a lot_ of alcohol. I'm not blaming the booze, but there is a huge chunk of the past 3½ years that I just can't remember. Wendy fell in with that chunk. All I know is that after spending the better part of two years looking for you, when I couldn't find you, Reno became my second home. I was tired of the endless disconnect and Wendy kept the other croweaters off my back. It pissed everyone off, too and I didn't give a shit. I wanted everyone to be as miserable as I was. Gemma hates her, Clay can't even look at her, and Bobby doesn't waste an opportunity to tell her how she is so not you. Hers was just another life I was fucking up out of sheer stupidity. I felt obligated to help her."

Jolene shook her head in disbelief. "Help her how?"

"Rehab. I got her to go twice, but each time she fell off the wagon." Jax explained.

It was all she could do to stifle a guffaw from bursting past her lips. _Boy, he really was far gone if he thought he could help that crank slut get sober._ Jax might have had better luck had he been able to stay sober himself.

"Shortly after the last rehab failed, I went on an extended run to Reno. Baby, I was _fucked_ up. By then, normal for me was perpetually drunk and stoned. I never would have married her, but she told me she was pregnant." Jax said bitterly.

Jolene was horrified. "Oh my God, Jax. Did you have a kid with that—"

Before Jolene could finish the sentence, Jax was hastily shaking his head. "No, God no. She lost the pregnancy about three weeks after we got married, about a week before the mess in Oak-Town that landed me and Ope in here." He assured her.

Jolene rolled her eyes. "She _lost_ the baby?" She could do damn near next to nothing to hide how naïve she believed some badass bikers could be. Jax wasn't surprised, though, as Gemma had had the same reaction.

Jax continued, "The jail time was a blessing in disguise. Soon after I got here, I pressed Wendy for a divorce. It took a little doing, but I convinced her and she finally signed the papers and had them filed six months ago." Jax smiled. "By the time I walk out of here, I hope to be a free man in more ways than one, Jo. If you'll have me, darlin', I'll be free to come home to you and only you."

Hearing Jax's side of the story about his marriage to Wendy had mollified Jolene a little. In spite of everything that had happened between them, Jolene knew that Jax had never lied to her. Even when nothing good came from telling her the truth, he never kept it from her. Even though it was going to take some time for her to accept that sometimes people did foolish things out of guilt and a warped sense of obligation, the truth was Jolene had forgiven Jax a long time ago. Besides, in her heart, Jolene knew she was guilty of far worse.

Watching her process everything he had told her, a thought suddenly dawned on Jax. "How did you find out about me marrying Wendy and that I was Chino? Was it Donna?" Jax asked ominously. Jax had always suspected that Donna had more information about Jolene's whereabouts than she was telling. Her constant denials and Jax's anger had almost caused a rift between him and Ope.

"No, it wasn't Donna. I knew that it would cause problems for her if I kept in contact, so I didn't." Jolene replied hesitantly. She tried to tread carefully. "Actually, it was David Hale."

"Hale?" With one word, Jax's entire demeanor changed completely. "You kept in contact with Hale?" He asked, his jaw clenched tight.

Jolene shook her head. "No. I've been living and working in Seattle for a while now and I ran into him a few months ago. He was in town for a law enforcement conference." She explained quietly.

"Seattle?" He asked and Jolene nodded. Jax shook his head and chuckled bitterly. He was willing to bet his life that the day he had shown up on Ronnie's doorstep, Jolene's friend had known exactly where she was.

Thinking of Charming's new deputy chief, Jax's brain went into overdrive. It was just too much of a coincidence that David Hale would have the luck that had eluded Jax for years and that he would simply just _run_ into Jolene while in Seattle. Juice had tapped into every database imaginable, only to come up empty in his search for Jax's old lady. Jax was convinced that the son of a bitch pig had used connections to get information on Jolene from databases that Juice had not been able to hack into just so that he could accidentally _on purpose_ run into her. He knew this for a fact because, quite aware of the hard-on the deputy chief harbored for his old lady, that's exactly what Jax would have done in Hale's shoes.

Jax looked at Jolene, who was suddenly having trouble looking him in the eyes. He reached out and gently caressed her cheek. "Is there something you need to tell me about Hale?"

Jolene considered not telling him the full extent of her contact with Hale. In other words, she considered lying to Jax, but knew that he had the right to all the facts before deciding to pursue a reconciliation. For all Jolene knew, and this is what frightened her the most, what she had to share might be a deal-breaker for Jax. On the bright side, Jax couldn't kill her, or _Hale_ , for that matter, while he was still in prison.

"When David told me that you were in Chino, I was pretty upset." Devastated would have been the proper way to describe how she had felt. "I was so worried about you and Ope that I thought about coming to see you then, but—"

"But what?" Jax asked quietly.

"But then he blindsided me by telling me that you had married Wendy. I didn't see that one coming, Jax." Jolene looked at him with strong resolve. "I was hurt and I was angry and I was _so_ tired of feeling that way. I needed to feel something else for a change. I needed someone to hold me and comfort me. I needed somebody to want me, so we—"

"Don't." Jax was shaking his head vehemently. "Baby, please don't say it." He fought back tears as his anger blazed. The son of a bitch had deliberately played on Jolene's emotions and used them against her to creep into her bed.

_That fuckin' piece of shit!_

Jax jumped out of his seat and paced back and forth to try and calm his inner rage. _Jesus Christ_! He was going to leave Chino an outlaw biker and only to come back a cop killer _._

As Jax returned to the table and sat down, Jolene put a hand on top of his. "I can't apologize for what happened, Jax." She started softly. "I've gone through acres of shit ever since I left Charming. I can't apologize to you or to anyone else for the life I've had to live or the choices I've had to make. If we can't move past what happened between me and Hale, and I promise, it was only one time, tell me now and I'll leave."

"Over my dead body." Jax replied earnestly, looking her dead straight in the eyes. "I can't blame you, darlin'. This is all on me." _And that motherfucker Hale_. "I can't pretend it's not killing me, though. It fuckin' hurts, _a lot_. I guess now I know how it feels, huh?" He gave her a sad smile. "I won't bring it up again if you won't."

Jolene reached up and tenderly kissed him.

Jax cleared his throat before speaking again. "Okay, so you've been living and working in Seattle. I need to know more, Jo." He started. "I know it's gonna take us a long time to fix what I broke, baby, but it's best if we do it with a clean slate. Is there anything else I should know, about Hale, anything?" Jax asked, dreading the answer.

With her mind racing sixty miles an hour, Jolene knew that there were a couple of somethings he may _want_ to know, but Jolene was sure he didn't _need_ to know. For one, the fact that Hale had been looking for a whole lot more than just a one night fling with her.

After running into David outside her favorite diner, he had convinced her to join him for dinner at a slightly more upscale restaurant. Although reluctant at first, Jolene had to admit that she had truly enjoyed herself for the first time in a long time. She had been able to tease some information out of David on what was going on back home and about the family that she had missed so much. She had been pretty careful to only reveal as much about herself as was absolutely necessary, even though, after a few glasses of wine with dinner, David had managed to get out of her that she was working at an exclusive private school in Redmond. Jolene had asked him to keep her whereabouts confidential and he seemed very happy to do so. It was only later, when they were having more drinks after dinner, that she had finally been able to muster enough nerve to ask about Jax. It was then that David dropped the bomb on her that both he and Opie were in Chino, doing time for their alleged involvement in a shooting resulting from a turf war between the Niners and the Mayans. But nothing could have prepared her for the shock of hearing that her Jax had married the Reno whore, Wendy Case.

Jolene had been gutted and, unable to hide her reaction from David, broke down into a puddle of tears. He had tried to comfort her by telling her that she was well rid of Jax, that there were more honest, loving men who could make her happy, so when he kissed her, she accepted it. He was what she needed at the time and he had been a wonderful and attentive lover. But he wasn't Jax. She left his hotel suite early the next morning and never expected to see him again.

It wasn't until a week or so later, after the flowers started arriving at the school, followed by letters and gifts, that Jolene reached the conclusion that maybe that first meeting wasn't a chance encounter at all. She was convinced that David had tracked her down with the intention of seriously courting her. Still reeling from the pain of having lost her old man forever, Jolene started to think that maybe, just maybe she should consider giving David a chance. In the end, in spite of the unexpected turn her life had taken, Jolene realized that there would only ever be one man for her. And it took Otto to knock the sense back into her head.

Jolene was all for full disclosure, but to tell Jax that Hale had been pursuing her? She couldn't do it. She owed Hale her life for one thing and, if Jax ever found out that Hale had known exactly where she had been and had wanted more than just a casual fling, he'd end up in a fuckin' pine box.

But when it came to shameful secrets, Jolene certainly had her share. At this point, she had to pick and choose what was important for him to know now and what would only bring him needless pain. Being in lock-up, Jax was already in a vulnerable situation and although he had handled the Hale situation better than she had anticipated, there were certain things that the man she loved just didn't have a need to know. So Jolene did the only thing she felt she could do under the circumstances. She looked into the eyes of the man that she loved like no other and lied her ass off.

"No, there's nothing else regarding Hale."

Jax sighed with relief, but it is short-lived as Jolene continued.

"But there is something you need to know and that I'm afraid you might not be able to forgive me for."

Jax took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Jo, after all the shit I've put you through, I'm too grateful to have this second chance with you, darlin. There's nothing that you could have done that's unforgivable."

Jolene wasn't so sure about that.

"Then you need to know that there _is_ someone else in my life." Jolene said, her voice full of emotion.

As the shock and pain radiated across Jax's face, Jolene grabbed his hand in both of hers. "Not like that, baby. Hold on." She opened her purse and pulled out a small photo album. Opening it, Jolene showed Jax a picture of a little boy, about 3 years old with a mop of blond wavy hair, big seafoam green eyes, and a big smile.

As Jax's wide eyes moved from the picture to Jolene and back to the photo album, Jolene said, with a catch in her voice, "This is your son, Abel."


	2. Little Man

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

_I have a son!_

Tears sprang to Jax's eyes and ran down his face as he gripped the photo album in one hand and reached for Jolene's hand with the other. It was a good thing that Jax was sitting down as, underneath the metal table, his legs had gone slack from the shock. Jax looked into Jolene's eyes and then returned to the photo of the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life, outside of his old lady.

Jolene barely heard Jax's voice as he whispered, "His name is Abel?"

Jolene squeezed his hand softly. "Yeah, it means 'son' in Hebrew."

With his hands trembling, Jax started to flip through the small photo album. In the second picture, Abel, who appeared to be about a year old, was curled up in his mother's arms clutching a small teddy bear. Jax was so overwhelmed that he had to close the picture book. Trying to get in control of his emotions, he asked the questions that were at the forefront of his mind. "How? When?"

Jolene had to take a moment to gather herself together. For so long she had wanted to share this incredible news with the love of her life, but now that she could do so, she realized just how monumental a task it would be. Jolene sighed and steadied herself as she began to talk about the circumstances that led to her giving birth to their son.

"After I got out of the hospital, Dr. Negron put me on a number of medications to regulate my heartbeat. Apparently, and I found this out way after the fact, the cocktail of pills negated the effectiveness of my birth control. I had no idea I was pregnant for months because the birth control was seasonal." Jolene explained and Jax quirked an eyebrow. "Seasonal, as in I get my period only four times a year. I didn't realize that I was pregnant until about two days before you showed up in San Diego."

Jax's knees were already weak with the shock of Jolene's announcement about their son, but now they got even weaker. He was looking at Jolene with a knitted brow and a clenched jaw. "You mean to tell me," Jax growled. "That you _knew_ you had my kid cooking in there the last time we saw each other," He pointed at Jolene's belly. "And you didn't think that I would want to know?"

 _Shit_! After all these years, Jolene still knew Jax well enough to know exactly what those flared nostrils meant. _He's pissed_. Breaking eye contact with Jax, Jolene's gaze fell onto her clasped hands on the steel table. Overwhelmed by the hurt and anger in his eyes, Jolene couldn't hold back the tears blazing a trail down her cheeks. Realizing that she had always known what his reaction would be, the shame of what she had done slammed down on Jolene, the weight on her now-slumped shoulders almost too much to bear.

Jax dropped the photo album on the table and used both hands to rub his face as he squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't look at her. It was killing him, twisting him up inside, the fact that Jolene had finally returned to him, only for him to discover that she had withheld the existence of their son. Only moments ago he had told her that he could forgive her anything, but finding out that he was the father of a son he had been denied knowing was a little hard to accept.

Jolene almost jumped out of her skin when he banged a fist on the table, rattling them both to their cores. Forcing herself to look Jax in his bloodshot eyes brimming with unshed tears, Jolene took notice of his slightly heaving chest.

"Why?"

Jolene had fooled herself into thinking that the "why" would have been obvious. Jax had broken her heart by taking off to Reno, set her up for humiliation in the only home she had ever known, and then had broken her heart all over again in San Diego. Recalling the agony of her own pain caused by the only man she had ever loved, the same man who had promised to never break her heart, Jolene's back stiffened, her stubborn Morrow pride seeping back into her bones.

In spite of knowing that she was the cause of the pain currently playing out on his face, Jolene wasn't prepared to apologize. Not yet, not until he understood that she had her reasons for not telling him.

Jolene shook her head. "Why would I tell you when the only reason you came all the way to San Diego was to treat me like some goddamned sweetbutt? After four years together, you reduced me to nothing more than a long-distance booty call. Do you realize how painful it was to hear _you_ say that, even though you wouldn't mind fucking me, nothing was going to change between us. I almost told you and, had we made it back to my apartment, I would have, but my pride wouldn't let me go from being your old lady to just some piece of ass to pass the time with while you were on the road." Pointing a finger at Jax, Jolene declared angrily, "YOU didn't want ME back! You had already set your mind to getting rid of me, so why in the world wouldn't I think that you'd want me to get rid of our baby, too?"

The obvious emotion in her voice brought Jax to the reality of their situation and when he looked at it from Jolene's point of view, it ripped him to shreds when he realized that, right or wrong, she had every right to feel the way she had.

Looking at Jax's face and seeing the myriad of emotions that played across it, Jolene saw the anger and tension leave him. "I may have been a goddamned idiot, and an asshole to boot, but I _never_ would have turned away from you and our baby." He reached over and caressed her face gently. "I need you to understand, darlin', that I never stopped loving you. You should have told me. I was too wrapped up in doing what I thought was best for you. Had you told me you were carrying our baby, that would have been the slap in the face I needed. Nothing would have kept me from dragging your ass back from San Diego." Jax was clutching her hands again, his tears flowing without shame.

Jax's chest tightened when he realized just how much he missed out on because of his mistaken need to protect Jolene from himself and the Life. He missed out on seeing the woman he loved grow round with his child inside of her, he missed his son being born in a healthy and happy environment, missed Abel taking his first steps, speaking for the first time, and calling him "daddy". He needed to know everything regarding Jolene and his son and he needed to know now.

"Did your friend Ronnie ever tell you that I had been looking for you since the day you fell off the grid?" Jax asked, even though he already had a good sense as to what the answer was.

Swallowing hard, Jolene looked him dead in the eye. "I was there." At the look of shock on his face, Jolene bit the bullet and told him the rest. "The day you showed up, I was in the house, Jax. I was hiding, but I heard you. I heard everything you said."

Jax was devastated. _I was so close, so fuckin' close_.

"I was seven months along by then and I hadn't been feeling well. I was contemplating waking Ronnie up so she could take me to the hospital when you showed up. The shock of seeing you again, hearing your voice, it was too much. I could still hear your bike pulling away in the background when I went into labor. Ronnie had to call 9-1-1 because I was bleeding a lot. The paramedics were prepping me for an emergency C-Section even before I got to the hospital, but my labor came on so quickly that I almost didn't make it to the delivery room. It was a hard, but fast delivery. He was literally born only about an hour after you left, but—"

Jax could see from Jolene's eyes that something had gone wrong. "Tell me." He implored.

"Abel was 10 weeks premature. His lungs weren't fully developed and he was really small and sick. He was born with the family flaw, a hole in his heart. The doctors gave him a 20% chance of survival and they felt that even that was overly optimistic." With tears pouring down her cheeks, Jolene continued. "They didn't think he was going to make it through the night, but the next morning he was still there. He was only 3 pounds and I just knew I was going to lose him. I needed to have something of him, so I took this picture."

Jolene opened the photo album and flipped to the end of it to reveal a tiny body, barely recognizable as a baby, thin and spindly, with tubes connected all over, lying in a small incubator not much bigger than a toaster. When Jax saw the picture, the shock of seeing his son fighting for his life since day one hit him hard. Not caring who was watching, Jax completely let go, with his head practically on the table, and wept.

Putting her hands on both sides of his head, Jolene lifted Jax's face streaked with tears and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "He's all right now. As a matter of fact, he's perfect. His doctor, Dr. Steinman wouldn't give up on him. He wouldn't let me give up on him. He's the reason Abel's alive. I almost lost him twice in his first year alone, but he's a tough little nut to crack, a wonderfully stubborn combination of the both of us. Teller-Morrow genes are pretty hard to beat. I keep that picture to remind me of that and of Abel's strength. He's a real fighter, with the scars to prove it."

Jax's heart was breaking in his chest. To find out that his family had to go through all of this all on their own, without him, was more than he could stand.

"I thought about contacting you then, but I couldn't bear the thought of introducing our son to his family only for him to die. I was young, but I remember how devastating Thomas' death was on everyone. I was lucky to have Ronnie. I don't know what I would have done without her. I had lost a lot of blood, before, during, and after the birth. I was critically ill and it took a long time for me to recover, but Ronnie was with me at the hospital every day, running between my room and NICU. She wouldn't let me give up on Abel, or myself, even when I wanted to. She got us all through this ordeal."

The fact that Ronnie had concealed Jolene's whereabouts from him did very little to endear her to Jax. As a matter of fact, a part of him was enraged that Ronnie got to experience with Jolene what was his right as Abel's father, but even he had to admit that, after being there for his old lady and son, Jax owed Ronnie Armstrong a debt he would never be able to repay.

"Abel spent his first year in the hospital. By the time he got out, I was teaching again, a private school in Redmond, but over the next year and a half, he gave me a couple of scares and was in and out of the hospital. He'd developed another small tear in his heart and he had to have yet another surgery to fix it. I had to take time off in the middle of the school year to take care of him and even though the Headmaster was sympathetic, the Board of Trustees wasn't. Not only did they take issue with the fact that I was a single mom, but they found out about my juvenile record. I always knew that bitch of a probation officer was fucking me over, I just didn't think it would catch up to me, not after so long. Anyway, I was told that I was in violation of the 'morals clause' in my contract with the school and they let me go. Losing a teaching position over a morality issue leaves quite a stain and I haven't been able to get another teaching job since. I really didn't give a shit, though because, about six months ago, Abel finally got a clean bill of health from his doctors."

Jax used the bottom of his orange shirt to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"I've been living off my savings and the money from my severance package. I do odd jobs here and there, tutoring, but for the most part I'm just a mommy to Abel. I was trying to find another line of work before what's left of my savings was gone when I found out about Luann and Gemma." Jolene whispered. As Jax looked up at her she nodded. "I found out about the accident and I had to go see Otto. I just couldn't stay away anymore."

Jax smiled in spite of himself. Even without Jolene saying so, he knew that he probably owed Big Otto a debt of gratitude. Knowing his friend and mentor, Otto had probably convinced Jolene to seek Jax out.

And Jolene confirmed it. "Jax, it was Otto who encouraged me to come see you. He put the fear of God in me, telling me that this might be the only second chance we get. He made me believe that, in spite of not telling you about Abel, that we still had a chance to reclaim what we once had." She explained.

"You told Otto about Abel?" Jax asked, his brow creased, but Jolene was shaking her head vehemently.

"No. I would never tell anyone before telling you. You have to believe that, Jax. I know I fucked up by keeping him a secret," Jolene started, but stopped as she broke down again. "You have to believe me when I say that I wanted to come back for a long time, but I was too scared."

"Scared of what, darlin'?" Jax implored.

"Scared that you would reject me again. Scared to tell you about Abel because I didn't think he was going to make it. I was even too scared to go see Otto, I guess because deep down I knew he was going to call me out on my bullshit. I'm glad he did, though. He said that with the Reno Whore on her way out, it was time for me to go back home and reclaim my old man."

Jax gave silent thanks to Otto, his brother, who still looked out for him despite his own problems.

_If Otto hadn't convinced Jolene to come back, who knows how long it would have been before I found her—if I ever found her again._

Jax held the photo album in his hands and slowly flipped through some of the happier moments in Jolene and Abel's life: Abel sitting on a swing, running on the beach, and one of him at about six months old, sleeping in a crib with his tiny butt hiked up in the air and a little fist in his mouth. Every picture was precious to Jax, but the ones with both mother and son were especially touching to him.

Jax put the photo album down. "Knowing that you had to go through all of this on your own breaks my heart, Jo. After everything that has happened, I know you have the right to be hurt and angry and I know that we've only just reconnected, but I want—I _need_ —to see my son." The tough outlaw biker sat in front of his old lady, determined and resolute. "I need to see him with you. Will you bring him here to see me?"

Jolene cupped his face in her hands as she said with a catch in her voice, "Of course I will. Once I was sure Abel was going to make it, knowing that I should bring him to see you, Dad and Gem, and his family has plagued me constantly. I just needed to know—"

"Know what?" Jax asked when it looked that Jolene wasn't going to finish her thought.

"I just needed to know that you wanted me back for me, and not just for Abel. I know it probably makes me sound like spoiled brat, but when everybody just let me go, I was devastated. Valentina I never gave a shit about. The bitch did me a favor by abandoning me, but losing my family, I don't think I'll ever really recover from that. I needed to know that you wanted me for _me_ and not because Abel was part of the package."

It was only then that Jax realized just how much hurt he had caused Jolene, not just physically, but mentally. He and Clay and her whole SAMCRO family had stripped her of what self-esteem she had managed to acquire after living with doped up mother for the first six years of her life. It was now his job to restore her to her rightful place in her family and in Charming.

"Baby, you are the most important person in my life." Jax's blue eyes stared into Jolene's with a hard glint in them. "I can tell you that I already love Abel because he came from you and only you, but if he wasn't here, I would still love you. Always and forever."

Blinking tears away, Jolene nodded, feeling reassured. "I'll bring him to see you, but under one condition." Jax's shoulders tensed. "That you don't tell anyone in Charming. It's my right to break the news and its best if I do it my way."

Jolene looked up as the C.O. who had separated them during the first moments of their reunion approached them. "I'm sorry, Jax, but your time is up. I'm afraid your lady is going to have to leave." Jax glanced at the clock on the wall and realized with some shock that an hour had gone by.

"Just one more minute, Billy. Please." Jax pleaded and Billy nodded. "Make it quick, man."

Despite the knowledge that Wilson was still lurking about, Jax stood up and wrapped his arms around Jolene and kissed her. "I love you so much." He said.

Jolene balled her fits into what little she could of his short hair. "I love you more." She slowly pulled out of his embrace. "I'll be back tomorrow, I promise."

Unable to resist as old habits die hard, Jax watched her incredible ass sway from side to side as Jolene walked through the exit door.

"Damn, man, that sure is a fine looking lady you've got." Billy exclaimed.

"She sure is."

* * *

The man that walked out of the Visitor's Center was very different than the one who entered it only an hour before. Jackson Teller had been transformed from a defeated inmate back into the strong and powerful outlaw biker that he had become before Jolene had left Charming. His strides were full of purpose as he re-entered the Inmate Processing Section. Everyone could see it, including Boyd Dawson.

Boyd was the one of the C.O.s manning the IPS. He had a tough reputation and suffered from a Napoleon complex. At 5'6 and 160 pounds soaking wet, Boyd used what power he had in Chino to turn himself into a big man on campus. It was unfortunate that today of all days, he was on duty when Jax and Billy returned to the IPS.

Swaggering up to Jax, who he mockingly called "Inmate 90210" because of his pretty boy good looks, Boyd snatched the photo album that Jax was holding. "Well, what do we have here?" Boyd sneered derisively. He looked over to the other C.O.s on duty, Danny Calhoun and Mark Simpson. "Well, boys, it looks like we have some contraband material here."

Boyd tossed the photo album on the top of a garbage can and was completely unprepared as he was suddenly and forcefully slammed into the wall after Jax broke loose of Billy and tackled Boyd from behind. Jax's only focus had been getting his hands on the photo album and, just as his hand was about to close on it, a baton landed a cracking blow behind his knee, causing Jax to skid to the floor. As several pairs of hands pulled him to his feet, Jax came up fighting. In the melee, all three C.O.s tried to restrain Jax, but it was Billy who finally managed to get through to the enraged biker.

Slamming Jax up against the wall, Billy squeezed his hand, the size of a catcher's mitt _ **,**_ around Jax's throat to get his attention. "My man! If you don't chill, your ass will be thrown into solitary," Billy then whispered in an undertone. "And you won't get to see your son tomorrow."

As the wisdom of Billy's words sunk in, Jax suddenly sagged against the wall.

Boyd, whose face was now sporting an ugly bruise on the right side of his face after his cheek-to-cheek dance with the wall, snarled, "Your ass is mine, pretty boy."

Billy turned on Boyd. "No it's not, but your ass will be grass if I go to Wilson about this. You've been on his shit list for a while for abusing your authority over the inmates. You want me to bring him in here?" Billy nodded at Calhoun and Simpson. "How about the peanut gallery over there? You two want to go down with this idiot?"

The newbie, Calhoun, stepped forward. He had just made his six months on the job and had finally acquired his full benefits package, which he needed with a pregnant and currently out-of-work wife. "I don't want any trouble. Why don't we just calm down for a minute, get him," He nodded at Jax, "Back to his cell and we'll talk this over?"

Billy nodded appreciatively at Calhoun. "Nice to see somebody has some damn sense." Walking back to Jax, Billy grabbed hold of his arm. "What about you, soldier? Can we squash this or am I going have to put the cuffs on you?"

Breathing hard and staring down at Boyd with crazy eyes, Jax finally looked at Billy. "I'm good."

"Then maybe the two of you can do your jobs, frisk his ass and let me get him back to his cell now."

As Calhoun and Simpson approached Jax and put him through the procedure, Billy's eyes met Boyd's. The look on Billy's face had Boyd shaking in his cheap shoes.

* * *

The 6' x 8' cell was small and rather spartan. Containing two narrow bunk beds bolted to the wall and floor, a couple of metal shelves against the opposite wall to store personal effects, a toilet and small sink, it was pretty grim. The fact that the cell boasted a small window facing the yard, however, billed the cell as a "luxury accommodation". The only decoration available was in the form of wall art made up of numerous photos, letters, and hand drawn pictures from home over the bunks.

Sitting on the top bunk with his back propped against the wall, Opie was smoking a cigarette while he read letters from Donna, Kenny, and Ellie. Opie had just finished his shift doing prep work in the kitchen and had returned to his cell to find three letters waiting for him from his family. He missed them so damn much and even though Donna brought the kids to see him every other week, it was hard waiting that long, so the letters were like little bridges between their visits.

Opie smiled as he thought about the two letters on Jax's bunk below, one with the crooked lettering that could only be from Kenny, while the other, the handwriting extremely neat and girlish, written by Ellie.

Donna was really good about having the kids write to both their father and their uncle. For a long time, there had been some bad feelings between Donna and Jax, as Jax was convinced that Donna had to know where Jolene was. Jax believed that, out of loyalty to her friend, Donna was refusing to give up her location, an accusation that Donna had denied repeatedly. It had gotten so bad that their feud had put a strain on Opie's relationship with Jax and he finally had to put his foot down with his best friend. But ever since the two of them had landed in Chino, Donna had taken great pains to try and make peace between her and Jax.

_It's almost like she knows just how alone Jax is in here, without Jo to come home to._

Opie turned his attention back to Kenny's letter, which enclosed a fairly accurate rendition of a dog biting Tig on the ass. Laughing, Opie got the full story of the incident involving a Doberman from Kenny's letter. While he didn't have all the details, apparently Tig had a close encounter with the dog and it was all Juice's fault. Opie looked at son's drawing with pride, making a mental note to get the full story from Bobby the next time he came to visit.

Opie and Jax were fortunate enough to be assigned to the same cell when they first arrived in Chino. With their cell at the far end of Cell Block D, it was located in the narrow end of the prison which housed fewer inmates. All of the six cells in their area were currently occupied, so when Opie heard the sounds of what had to be two sets of feet coming down the corridor, he knew that one of them was Jax, who had been called off laundry detail for a visitor down at the VC.

Opie looked up from Kenny's letter and saw Jax standing in front of the cell. As Opie noted Jax's red-rimmed eyes, he felt a tightening in his chest. _Something's up_. Opie jumped down from his bunk as Jax entered the cell. Fearing the worst, more bad news from Jax's visitor, Opie asked, "What's wrong, brother?"

Jax put a hand on Ope's shoulder. "It's Jolene." As Opie's eyes widened in shock, Jax continued. "She came back, bro. She came back to me and I have a _son_!"

Enthralled, a stunned Opie listened as Jax recounted, almost word-for-word, his reunion with Jolene, with the exception of her involvement with David Hale. As much as he loved and trusted Opie, Hale was too sore a subject to share. Jax couldn't bear the thought of knowing himself, let alone telling anyone else, that the son of a bitch do-gooder cop had succeeded in bedding his girl. Besides, as far as the Club was concerned, Jolene had never ceased being his old lady. With Jolene's reputation at stake, no good could come from his brothers knowing that Jolene had been with another man, Hale in particular, especially with Jax in prison. Next time Bobby came for a visit, Jax would make sure that Jo's Uncle Elvis made it known to anyone that would listen that, as far as his old lady was concerned, there was no prison clause and that Jax wouldn't hesitate to gut anyone who even tried to invoke it.

"Yo, Jax?" Jax turned around to see Jolene's photo album being slipped between the bars of the cell and dropped onto his bunk. "I'm a father, too, man." Billy smiled. "Just for the record, you know I'm getting a whole loaf of that banana bread, right?"

Picking up the photo album, Jax was too emotional to speak. Only his eyes could express his feelings of gratitude as Opie clapped him on the back.

* * *

Jax spent a restless night in his cell and his anxiety over Jolene's next visit followed him throughout the monotony of his daily routine. Jax simply went through the motions of showering, eating the shitty food in the Chow Hall, and working in the steaming hot laundry room. Lifting the large and heavy baskets of dirty laundry, Jax anxiously waited for his name to be called over the noise of all of the machinery and the loud, raunchy conversations of the other inmates.

Jax and Opie had spent all night talking about Jolene and Abel, looking at the two dozen pictures that Jolene had stuffed into the small album. Opie was as happy and excited as Jax was. He had truly missed the young woman he had loved like a pain-in-the-ass little sister. Hearing the news of what Jo had gone through had been just as difficult for Opie to hear as it had been for Jax to relate.

"Teller!" Jax nearly dropped the basket of laundry he was carrying. His supervisor, a tall and lean black man with graying hair by the name of Jonesy, motioned to him. "You're a pretty popular guy this week. Seems you have another visitor."

* * *

For the second day in a row, Billy escorted Jax to his meeting with Jolene. However, this time their walk took them outside and to one of the cabins on the West side of the prison.

Jax was a nervous wreck and it showed. "Calm down, man." Billy encouraged, as they strolled up the paved walkway in front of the large one-room cabin made of brick and natural stone. "It's going to be all right."

"He's never seen me before," Jax countered. "And now he has to see me in this." Jax tugged at his prison uniform.

"That don't matter." Billy replied. "He's here to see you, not your gear, man. And when you get out of here, he'll get to see the real you."

Jax nodded as they arrived in front of the cabin. "Well, this is as far as I go." Billy shoved him towards the door. "Go on in, man and see your family."

As Jax turned the knob of the front door, the first sound to hit his ears was the near-angelic laughter of a small child. Walking through the short entrance, Jax stopped in the doorway.

The room was very large and rectangular in shape. The walls were outlined with several large and colorful murals of Disney characters, princesses, and super heroes. The room was outfitted with toys for every age group and seating areas with tiny tables and chairs, but the best part was the large indoor equipment consisting of a maze with swings, slide, and a ball pit.

And smack dab in the middle, running on little legs that seemed to be moving at the speed of light, with his mother in hot pursuit, was Abel in a pair of faded jeans and a black Harley-Davidson t-shirt.

"Hey, Little Man." Jax called out softly.

Coming to a sudden stop, the little boy whirled around to see a tall, blond man standing in the doorway wearing orange scrub-like pants and shirt, which reminded Abel of his friends back at Seattle Children's Hospital.

Abel was looking Jax straight in the eye as Jolene squatted next to him and asked, "Abel, do you know who this is?"

Taking a few seconds to contemplate, Abel pointed at Jax and smiled. "That's my daddy." Turning to Jolene, Abel asked expectantly, "Go with daddy?" Beaming at her little boy, Jolene nodded and watched as Abel ran to his father. Scooping him up as Abel practically took a running leap, Jax hugged him against his chest as he started to weep.

* * *

The next hour and a half had Jax contemplating giving up cigarettes as he ran after his son, while Abel kept up a constant chatter. Where children, for the most part, tended to be pretty reserved around new people, Abel was the complete opposite. Spending so much time surrounded by doctors, nurses, and therapists had shaped him to be a very sociable and outgoing child and, having a teacher for a mother, he was as smart as a whip, too, Jax noted proudly.

After tiring of all of the play equipment, which had worn Jax out, Abel grabbed his father by the hand and dragged him over to his little backpack. Sitting on the floor, Abel opened the bag and dumped a collection of toy cages and motorcycles in the space between him and Jax.

Picking up one of the bikes, Abel handed it to Jax. "Mommy says you have a real one like this."

Taking the motorcycle from Abel, Jax grinned. "Yeah, I do. How would you like to ride on it one day?"

With her wide green eyes nearly popping out of her head, Jolene made little head-shaking movements behind Abel's back.

"Yeah! Yeah! I want to!" Abel exclaimed, frantically nodding as he jumped up and down.

"Jax, he's too little to ride on your bike." Jolene implored.

"Nah, I started riding with my old man at his age. I'll put him up in front of me and Little Man will be just fine." As Jax and Abel looked at her grinning with two big, cheesy smiles on their faces, Jolene shook her head. Yup, she had just been outnumbered and ganged up on for the first time of what she was sure would be many, many times to come, but she didn't care. Seeing her two men together at last had Jolene's heart bouncing around in her chest. As father and son bonded, Jolene pulled out a small camera and took dozens of photos of them, her favorite being a quick snapshot of Abel, holding both sides of Jax's face in his tiny hands.

Jax had been allowed two hours to visit with his family and, when they were up, Billy came in and pointed at his watch. Jax looked at him. "Please, five minutes." Billy nodded and stepped back outside.

Jolene sighed as she slowly got up from the floor. Like a lot of children who had the uncanny ability to realize when a good time was about to end, Abel clung fiercely to his daddy. Jolene reached out to Abel, but he shook his head and clung even tighter to Jax.

"Baby, I'm sorry, but we have to go now." It was breaking her heart to have to take him away. Even though Jolene had been estranged from her family, she has spent a considerable amount of time teaching Abel all about his heritage. Using the one photo album she had brought with her when she had left Charming, she had shown Abel pictures of his father, grandparents, and all of her SAMCRO family. She told him bedtime stories of some of the more innocent and humorous tales of the MC world and Abel could repeat them verbatim.

Jolene stroked Abel's unruly hair. "We can come back to see Daddy soon."

Abel rubbed his eyes before looking at his mother hopefully. "Promise?"

Jolene nodded. "Of course, baby."

"Pinky promise?"

Jolene extended her little finger and Abel grabbed onto it with his own tiny pinky. He then wrapped his arms around Jax's neck again and gave him a tight squeeze. As he pulled away, Jax kissed Abel on the forehead.

Snaking his arm around her waist, Jax pulled Jolene towards him and gave her a tender and sweet kiss goodbye, all the while copping a furtive feel of her ass before squeezing one of her denim clad cheeks. Looking deep into each other's eyes, Jolene could clearly see his passionate longing for her.

"Luann's funeral is on Saturday." Jolene started, as she ran the back of her curled up fingers through the hair on his chin and up the side of his face. "Otto asked me to represent him at the service, but I don't want my coming home to overshadow Luann, so I plan on getting home on Thursday. Abel's staying with Ronnie for a few days while I reconnect with Dad and Gemma. Hopefully, if I'm still breathing, I can get the lay of the land before I bring him home."

"You'll be fine, darlin'. They've missed you almost as much as I have." Jax assured her.

"You missed me _way_ more, I hope." Jolene teased.

"You have no idea, baby."

"I have some idea." Jolene wiggled her eyebrows at him.

"Shit, these are gonna be the longest six months of my life." Jax lamented as he stole a glance at the cleavage exposed by her V-neck sweater.

"Am I worth the wait?"

"Fuck yeah." Still holding Abel, Jax pulled her in for a longer, deeper kiss. "I love you so much, Jo. Thank you for my son."

Still carrying Abel, Jax led Jolene outside, hand-in-hand, to meet Billy. Looking at the three of them, Billy smiled and said, "You have a beautiful family there. Take care of them, man."

"I know." Jax grinned proudly. Looking at Jolene, he promised, "And I will."


	3. Going Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

The car pulling into the lot was unfamiliar to Lowell. A fixture at T-M since he was fifteen, Lowell was pretty good at remembering the vehicles of the garage's regular clientele. Reasoning that it was probably someone passing through needing an oil check or something, he got confirmation when he saw the plates that clearly identified it as a rental car. He pushed his shades up to his forehead and, squinting in the glare of the sun, faced in the direction of the car now parking in one of the spots that ran along the front of Teller-Morrow Auto. He pushed himself off the picnic table in front of the Clubhouse where he had been enjoying a break and headed toward the garage, grabbing a dozing Half-Sack and dragging him along.

"What's going on, Lowell?" The younger man asked, a little annoyed. After all, he had been on his break. Lowell said nothing, but gestured with a slight nod of his head to the car. The car's engine died and its driver got out, with Lowell getting a great view of impossibly long and lean legs and a lush and curvy ass as the driver reached into the car to grab her leather handbag from the front passenger seat. The supremely fit figure was clad in sexy black from head to toe. Lowell smiled and raised an eyebrow approvingly.

Half-Sack saw the change in expression and followed Lowell's gaze. His eyes widened as the driver's head finally emerged from the car. "Oh, man," He moaned as a cascade of long, black hair danced in the warm breeze. "I call dibs," Half-Sack said as he broke away from Lowell and quickened his pace toward the garage.

"What?" Lowell called out, dumbfounded as he practically ran after Half-Sack. "I saw her first, douche bag!" Normally, Lowell would never consider stepping over a Son to get to a woman, but since Half-Sack was only a Prospect, he figured all bets were off.

Juice, also having heard the car enter the parking lot, left the Audi he had been working on and headed toward the newcomer as he wiped engine fluid off his hands with a dirty rag.

"Can I help . . ." Impressed with the view he was getting from behind, the words died in his throat the moment the driver turned to face him. "Holy shit!" Juice ran to the woman. He grabbed her by the waist, lifting her off the ground, and swung her around.

Lowell, finally getting a good look at the woman's face, said in a low whisper "Holy shit! That's my Guardian Angel!"

As Juice finally set her on the ground, the young woman held onto his shoulders to steady herself as the world passed before her eyes.

"Goddamn, Juice, happy to see me?" She beamed up at him. Juice, who was smiling like a fool, just grabbed her again and hugged her within an inch of her life.

"Hey, Juice, who's your friend?" Half-Sack called out nonchalantly, right before Lowell grabbed him by his shoulder and pulled Half-Sack behind him.

Juice, finally breaking his embrace, turned towards the two men, his arm protectively around her shoulders. "Sack," He started, "This is Jolene Morrow."

Half-Sack's smile fell off his face and his jaw hit the ground as Lowell pushed Juice aside to hug Jolene. Pulling away from his embrace, Jolene looked up and smiled as she gently caressed his cheek. He was looking good and sober, making Jolene proud. "Hey, Lowell."

Looking over Lowell's shoulder, Jolene made eye contact with Juice as they both noticed the Prospect's stupefied expression and both started laughing.

"Oh my," she started. "The thoughts that must be running through his head." Jolene said to Juice.

"Hmmm, what could her relationship to Clay possibly be?" Juice laughed.

"Oh, put him out of his misery, would ya?" Came Tig's voice from the garage. "She's Clay's kid," Tig said as the young woman turned to face him.

"Come here, you." Jolene grabbed Tig and gave him a kiss on the cheek, gingerly trying to avoid his mouth, it was Tig after all. Tig pulled her into a bear hug.

"I knew you'd come back," He whispered into her neck. "It's good to see ya, Doll Face." Tig reluctantly let her go. She smelled real good.

"You too, Tigger," She smiled and turned to face Half-Sack. "Surprise, it's a girl!"

"Well," Half-Sack said nervously. "I didn't know Clay had any kids. It's nice to meet you." He held out his hand, which Jolene shook with an amused look on her face.

 _Who would have thought that Clay Morrow would have a daughter that was so fuckin' hot?_ Half-Sack tried to discreetly adjust his jeans.

"Just one . . . that I know of at least." Jolene smiled at the Prospect. "It's been awhile since I was last in Charming."

"I'll say." Juice said.

"Where is my old man, by the way?" Jolene asked as she undid the straps of her waist length leather jacket.

"Which one?" Tig smirked and Juice smacked him with the dirty rag.

Jolene gave Tig a sideways smile as she crossed her arms under her chest, thereby distracting Tig by unwittingly pushing up her cleavage. "My sperm donor." She replied snarkily.

"Clay's snoozing off lunch in the office." Tig gestured to the right. "I think I just saw Bobby and Gemma go in there, too."

"Awesome." Jolene remarked unenthusiastically as she turned toward the office and took a deep breath. "Time to bite three bullets, I guess." She threw Juice a wink and with a determined hitch in her stride, headed to face her father and a possible apocalypse.

* * *

Clay had been taking a nap in the office when Bobby and Gemma came in to nag him about the jobs that the garage had fallen behind on and that needed to be finished no later than by the end of the day. With all of the charters sending representatives for Luann's service for what was sure to be a very packed and emotional weekend, T-M was closing for business for the next couple of days and Gemma was in her sexy dictator mode.

Leaning back on the office chair with his feet propped up on the desk cluttered with paperwork, Clay was hardly paying attention to a word Gemma was saying as he massaged his arthritic hands. Looking at her with half-hooded eyes, Clay had other thoughts on his mind.

_Mama Bear is looking pretty hot._

Gemma, although still recovering from the accident, was looking particularly fine that afternoon in a tight V-neck sweater, designer skinny jeans, and stiletto heels. The only part of her ensemble that was off kilter was her broken arm in the white cast, currently being held up by a black shoulder sling. Kenny Winston, however, had managed to add a little outlaw flair by drawing in black magic marker a Reaper with "S.O.A." directly underneath in the middle of the cast. Gemma was standing in front of the desk, with one hip cocked to the side, and the current job list in her right hand.

Clay had been giving Bobby the stink eye, hoping that he would finally take the hint and leave so that he could bang the hell out of his old lady right there in the office, when in the background, Clay heard a car pulling into the lot. With Lowell or Juice out in the garage and available to check on incoming business, Clay stayed put, especially since Gemma's rack was calling his name.

But realizing that the normal noise associated with the repair of motor vehicles had ceased and what he was now hearing was an increase in the noise level that included laughter and excitement, Clay stood up and walked towards the office door to see what the commotion was about, leaving Gemma in mid-sentence.

"Uh, hello!" Gemma rolled her eyes at Clay's retreating back. "I'm talking here!"

Clay opened the door to see a crowd of his brothers surrounding a figure in the middle of the lot. With the bright afternoon sun shining directly in his eyes, he couldn't make out who it was.

"What the hell is all the yelling about?" He called out as a cloud quickly passed overhead, momentarily blocking the sun. Clay's steely blue eyes widened as he finally recognized the figure dressed in all black and felt as if someone had hit him in the chest with a crow bar. "Jolene?" He said disbelievingly.

_My little girl!_

"Jolene!" Clay shouted as he held his arms open, the look on his face betraying the shock and joy of a father who had come to believe that he would never see his daughter again.

At the sight of her father, the confident and determined stride of a fully grown woman faltered and, for a brief moment, Jolene reverted back to her younger days of being a "daddy's girl."

"Daddy!" Jolene practically ran into Clay's embrace. Unable to stop her tears, she quietly sobbed into her father's chest as he gently stroked her hair.

Not even realizing that there were tears running down his own face, Clay soothed her by dropping kisses on the top of her head. "It's alright, baby girl. Welcome home."

Jolene finally broke away from Clay's embrace. Wiping her tears away, she turned to see Bobby and Gemma standing in the office doorway. Gemma's hand was covering her mouth and a pile of papers were scattered on the ground in front of her, while Bobby had literally sagged against the door frame leaning on it for support.

At a loss for words at the sight of the woman she loved like a mother and her Uncle Elvis, Jolene ran towards the office. As Gemma's good arm clasped around her and squeezed her tight, Bobby's arms wrapped around the two of them, where they held each other for a good long while.

Gemma, the first to come up for air, did something that she hadn't done in years. Grabbing hold of Jolene's ear, she gave it a good twist. As Jolene let out a shocked yelp, Gemma lit in like the true Mother Bear she was.

" _WHERE IN THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?"_

Before Jolene could reply, Bobby jumped in. " _Four_ damn years! _Four long fuckin' years_ and you couldn't pick up the phone, Kit?"

 _Shit, forget about Dad tearing a strip off my hide,_ Jolene thought. _These two are going to rip me a new one right here in front of God and everybody._

Clay quickly dove in and, in a flip-the-script move, went into extreme Papa Bear mode. "Wait just a goddamn minute. We are not going to do this here with an audience." He practically growled.

Clay turned to face the lot, which was suddenly packed with his brothers, mechanics, hang-arounds, croweaters, sweetbutts, and old ladies who had been on the lot or in the Clubhouse. No doubt everyone had gathered to witness a fireworks display that Clay had absolutely no intention of providing.

"Quit gawking!" Clay spoke gruffly and loud enough to be heard across the yard. "This is my daughter, Jolene. If you've never met her before, please make sure to introduce yourselves later. Right now, baby girl and I have a lot of catching up to do." Clay placed his hand on the small of Jolene's back and gently pushed her toward the Clubhouse. "Come and join your old man for a drink."

Clay grabbed a hold of Gemma's good hand and nodded for Bobby to follow.

 _Thank God_ , Jolene thought. Although she couldn't help but feel like a lamb being led to the slaughter, she could definitely use some liquid courage at the moment.

As Jolene and her three parents headed towards the Clubhouse, Wendy Teller jumped out of her burgundy Maxima, nearly stumbling over her own Prada boots in shock. Walking quickly over to a group of croweaters, Wendy grabbed a hold of Emily Duncan's arm.

"What the hell is going on?" Wendy cried out. Pointing at Jolene's retreating back, she demanded, "What the fuck is that bitch doing here?"

Emily shook her head at Wendy. "Looks like the Prodigal Daughter has returned." Walking away to see if she could entice one the Sons to take a little break, Emily looked over her shoulder at Wendy. With a catty look in her eyes, she advised snarkily, "If Jax knows she's back, you might as well pack your bags right now."

* * *

The Clubhouse, Jolene smiled nostalgically, was still the same with the stale smell of cigarettes, weed, booze, and sex still permeating the Main Room. The cool dimness of the Clubhouse was a welcome change from the hot brightness of the parking lot. Jolene, suddenly flush with flop sweat, pulled off her leather jacket and threw it onto the pool table. Leaning against the bar, Jolene watched as Clay walked behind it and pulled out a bottle of Jack and a bottle of Patron.

"You still drink this shit, baby girl?" Clay asked, looking at Jolene as if he still couldn't believe that she was there.

Jolene nodded wryly. "Damn straight."

"Grab some glasses and let's go into the Chapel." Clay said. Leading the procession, he sat down at the head of the table, with Jolene sitting on his right and Gemma and Bobby sitting on his left.

Clay, who was ecstatic beyond belief to see his only child, was quick to realize that Jolene coming home after all this time would probably bring some serious drama into his life and that of their extended SAMCRO family. He wanted to celebrate the moment before everything went to hell. He poured a shot of Patron and pushed it towards Jolene and three shots of whiskey for Gemma, Bobby, and himself. Picking up his glass, Clay raised it and smiled at his heartbreakingly beautiful daughter.

"Seeing you out there, I thought I had died and gone to heaven." He started. "I missed you terribly, baby girl." Clay tapped her glass. "Welcome home." He said and knocked back the fiery whiskey.

"I missed you, Dad." Jolene lifted herself from her chair and, reaching over, lovingly kissed her father's cheek. Settling back onto her seat, she turned to Gemma and Bobby. "I missed you, too."

Gemma knocked back her shot and slammed the glass on the Redwood table. "Oh, really?" She drawled sarcastically. "Well, forgive me if I find that a little difficult to believe since it's been almost four years since your ass has darkened our doorstep."

Clay slammed his arthritic hands on the table and winced as the pain shot through them. "Gemma, please!" He snarled. "Give her a chance to explain herself before tearing into her." Clay wanted answers too, but he was not about to risk antagonizing his daughter the minute she came home. Looking at Jolene, Clay calmly asked, "Where have you been, baby girl?"

Jolene knocked back her drink, the tequila burning a trail down her throat and straight into her stomach. _Well, this is it._ Realizing she couldn't give them the full load just yet, Jolene told them a modified version of the story she had shared with Jax: After she had left San Diego, she had relocated to Washington and had been working there as a teacher, and was subsequently laid off six months ago when her criminal record was discovered.

"I never forgot about you, Dad, or my family." Jolene assured him softly. "When I found out about the accident, I went to see Otto. He convinced me that I've been away long enough, and that with Jax in Chino, now was the time to come back home to visit."

Clay was thankful that Big Otto had convinced Jolene to come home, but he was surprised on her seemingly non-interest in the fact that Jax was in prison. _Maybe her time away has cured her of her fixation on Jax_ , Clay thought hopefully.

Although Clay was clearly overjoyed that his daughter was back, not to mention Bobby—if the look on his face was an indication—Gemma needed more details before she could make a proper assessment of just how happy she actually was. After Jolene had left, Gemma had to deal with the fallout of Jax's actions and had to do what she could to hold the Club together as both their Pres and VP had been emotionally devastated. Gemma wasn't looking to shoulder any more pain or disappointment if and when Jolene decided to take off again.

Gemma was a bit brusque in her questioning. "So, how long are you staying in Charming or are you just gonna fly off again without a clue to anybody?"

Jolene looked at her stepmother with narrowed, angry eyes.

_Okay, let's do this._

"I didn't exactly fly the coop the first time, Gemma. I was thrown the hell out of it!" Jolene retorted.

Gemma was shaking her head. "No, sweetheart. No one threw you out. You ran away and I thought you had more backbone than that shit."

Jolene's eyes were flashing. "You have no idea what you're talking about. It took miles of backbone to walk out of here, leaving behind the only life I knew. I wasn't the coward, Gemma. Jax was."

Proud that his daughter could hold her own against the Queen of Charming, Clay sat back and watched them go at it as Bobby kept flashing him with incredulous looks, practically willing Clay to interfere.

"Really? He is the last person that wanted you to leave."

"Is that right? Well, it was too little, too late, don't you think? I had already been slapped around by every goddamn croweater on the lot."

"I was there, Jolene. You stood your ground and you kicked ass. Nobody slapped you around. You should have stayed because you weren't alone. I would have stood by you come hell or high water."

"Well, that's all ancient history now, isn't it?" Jolene asked bitterly.

"Maybe for you, but not in my book. Hurting my baby is something I will _never_ forget." _Nor forgive_. "Losing you almost destroyed my son. He gave up on himself without you. He's sitting in Chino today and you leaving certainly had something to do with putting him there." Gemma accused. Jolene's eyes widened as her blood began to boil.

Before things could escalate into a screaming match, Bobby quickly interjected "Gemma, now is not the time for this. We should be celebrating, not assigning blame."

"Celebrating what? The fact that Jolene's a spoiled brat? Why didn't you come back _before_ Jax got sent way, huh? I'll tell you why. Because if you came back, you knew that nothing would have kept Jax at arm's length and you wouldn't have been able to resist him. It was easier to stay away and wallow in your self-righteous pain and pride than it was to fix shit. In my book, that makes _you_ the coward."

"Self-righteous? Are you even listening to yourself? You have no idea what you're talking about." Jolene accused bitterly.

"Enough!" Clay barked, flashing Gemma with his steely death glare until she backed down and relaxed in her chair. Clay clutched Jolene's hands, which were currently clenched fists on top of the table as she continued glaring at Gemma.

"Bobby's right. We should be celebrating. I'm sure Luann's passing has put a lot of shit in perspective for most of us. In spite of appearances to the contrary," Clay pointedly looked at Gemma. "We are beyond happy to have you back, baby girl. While we can't kill the fatted calf for you just yet, considering the circumstances, trust me, there's going to be a party to welcome you home the likes of which you have never seen before. Where were you planning to stay?"

"I'm staying at the Ramada." Jolene replied.

Clay shook his head authoritatively. "No, you're not. You're staying with us."

* * *

Jolene sat on the bed in her old room, which Gemma had only just recently turned into another guest room. Pulling a pack of cigarettes out of her purse next to her on the bed, Jolene lit up, and laid back against the headboard.

"Well, that's a new habit." Jolene looked up to see Gemma, standing in the middle of the doorway of the room.

Jolene looked at Gemma for a long time before answering, her brow furrowed. "Yeah, well, when you give up sex, one has to find something else to do with one's hands." She replied snarkily. Taking a deep drag, Jolene blew out a smoke ring.

"Well, at least you don't smoke those girly cigarettes." Gemma replied grinning.

"Why would I? I'm a grown woman now." _And more than capable of handling anything you throw my way_ , Jolene thought. She held out the pack of cigarettes to Gemma. "Want one?"

Gemma shook her head slightly as she approached the bed. "No, I prefer these little cigarettes." She pulled out a joint from her front pocket and motioned for Jolene's lighter.

 _Some things never change_ , Jolene thought, surprised by the sentimentality tugging at her heart. She flipped open the lighter and lit Gemma's joint for her.

Gemma took a long drag and passed it to Jolene before sitting down next to her.

"I'm sorry." Gemma said, rather abruptly.

The words were so completely unexpected that at first Jolene didn't realize that they were being directed at her. Jolene shook her head. "What for? You were just speaking what was in your heart." She countered, passing the joint back.

"Oh, I'm not apologizing for what I said. I meant every word of it." Gemma said wryly. "The delivery could have used a tweak, though. My attitude earlier wasn't exactly welcoming and that's not the case at all. I'm _so_ happy to have you back. I really missed my daughter. And my friend."

Jolene had determined that when she came home she was going to lay down the law to her family, which meant she wasn't going to take any shit from anyone. But when tough-as-nails Gemma expressed her feelings, Jolene's heart melted.

Jolene reached out for and was given Gemma's hand. "This isn't going to be an easy ride for either of us, but I'm willing to try and meet ya half way. I've already lost Luann. I can't lose you, too, Gemma."

Gemma squeezed Jolene's hand and nodded, barely managing to conceal the fact that she was pretty damn close to shedding some tears.

 _I'm too old for all this touch-feely bullshit_.

Needing to get a feel for where Jolene's head was at concerning a certain imprisoned outlaw biker, Gemma abruptly changed the subject.

"So, Jax is in prison." Gemma started by stating an already-established fact. "I take it he doesn't know you're back, am I right?"

_Oh damn, I am so not ready for this conversation._

Jolene had not planned on sharing the fact that she had already seen Jax or their plans for a reconciliation, at least not until after the funeral. Gemma had certainly made her feelings known earlier concerning their break-up. Maybe now was a good time to feel her out about them getting back together.

Jolene shook her head as she took a deep breath. "Nope, you're not. As a matter of fact, there's something you should know, but it has to remain between just the two of us." _Or four, if you count Jax and Abel._

 _And the other shoe drops,_ Gemma thought. "What's going on?"

"I went to see Jax a few days ago." At Gemma's shocked stare, Jolene quickly replied, "He was pretty shocked to see me, too."

 _Ya think?_ Gemma thought in a daze.

If she knew her son, he must have been a half-crazed maniac. After the events of four years ago, Gemma had watched her son disappear into himself, lost in liquor, weed, and women. Losing Jolene had wrecked him. There were times that Gemma had feared for her son's life. Seeing Jolene after all this time must have rocked his world.

Just as Gemma thought that she couldn't deal with any more shocks in one day, Jolene looked her in the eyes and said, "When Jax gets out of Chino, we've decided to try and make it work again."

Gemma nearly fell off the bed. " _What?_ "

"I know this is a lot to drop on you all at once and I know that us talking about getting back together so soon is probably insane, but it's this simple: Jax should have never pushed me away and I should have never left. It's going to take some time to fix us, but that bonehead now realizes what I've known since I was ten. There is no life for me without him and he feels the same way."

 _Clay is going to kill my son_ , Gemma thought grimly and said as much to Jolene. "You know your father is going to kill Jax."

"No, he won't." Jolene replied confidently. "Because we're not gonna tell him."

"Oh yeah, 'cause that worked out so well the last time." Gemma said sarcastically. _Damn, I'm going to have to get another fuckin' bird_ , Gemma thought grimly.

"We won't tell him. Y _et_. I need time to work on him, soften the blow a bit. Besides, Jax and I have decided to keep it on the down low, at least until he gets out. We don't want to rock the boat concerning his divorce from the crank whore. Before we can move on with our lives, we have to make sure she's no longer a part of Jax's."

"Sweetheart, I have news for you. She was never a part of Jax's life." Gemma assured her.

"I kinda got that from Jax," Jolene said with a cocked eyebrow. "But I'm kinda leaning towards calling it bullshit 'cause you don't just up and marry someone for no fuckin' reason."

"Oh, he had plenty of reasons, Jolene. None of them were good and we were all shocked as shit, but still. Bottom line, Jax had given up on ever finding you."

"So come on, really? Those were Jax's only two options, me or Wendy?" Jolene asked dubiously. "I know my old man. He could've had anyone he wanted."

"No, not really because all he wanted was you, _darlin'_." Gemma countered as she bumped shoulders with Jolene, forcing a half-smile out of the young woman.

"Thanks, Gem." Jolene rolled her eyes as she grabbed the joint out of her hand and took a hit. "Find a hook and stick with it by driving home the point of how badly I fucked up."

"Don't get me wrong," Gemma drawled good-naturedly. "You both fucked up, royally. Just own it and move on." She counseled. "Fancy teaching degrees aside, you were meant for the Life, Jolene, so stop kidding yourselves and accept that there is only one outlaw out there with your name written all over him, just like you're all the old lady my son will ever need."

Jolene looked at Gemma through half-hooded eyes. "So what are you saying? In spite of your outburst in the Chapel earlier, you're all Team Jolene?"

"I love you, sweetheart. You're like a daughter to me, but I'm Team Jax all the way. Jax, on the other hand, now _he's_ all about Team Jolene and whatever makes my son happy, makes me giddy."

Jolene rolled her eyes as she took another drag. "Thanks for the pep talk, Coach."

"Any time, _slugger_." Gemma grabbed her joint back. "Speaking of which, next time you see the crank whore, try not punching her teeth down her throat 'cause I'm willing to bet _that_ might rock the boat a little concerning the divorce."

"Why would I even waste my energy throwing a punch at that ho-bag?" Jolene asked wearily.

"Because she's living in your house."

Jolene gave Gemma a dead-eye stare. "Oh goody, smoking you up did soften the blow." Gemma smiled. "I was hoping you wouldn't go all thermo-nuclear on me."

Jolene sat up straight on the bed. "You have got to be shitting me." She said in complete and utter disbelief. "Please tell me you're shitting me 'cause now I'm gonna have to punch her teeth down her throat."

"Baby girl, with you back, Wendy's as good as gone. Once the divorce is final, we'll kick her out and redecorate. It'll be as good as new—"

"No! I'd rather rub pubes with a crab-infested whore. _"_ Jolene said angrily. "I'll be damned if I ever set foot in that house again." Crossing her arms across her chest like a petulant child, Jolene threw herself against the headboard. "I loved that house, you know." She pouted.

"I know, sweetheart." Gemma patted her hand as if dealing with a mental patient.

"Eh, you know what?" Jolene shrugged her shoulders. "Fuck it. My plan was to find a job and an apartment and have it all ready for when Jax comes home anyway. A fresh start for both of us, you know?"

Looking at Jolene and seeing the determination in her eyes, seeing the woman that she had clearly become, Gemma couldn't help but beam with pride. _All of my son's happiness is tied up in this one woman and I will do everything in my power to help them work it out._ Someone, after all, had to keep a balanced head. As much as Gemma wanted everything to work out for them, and as easily as Jolene apparently thought it would be, the reality was that, after almost four years apart, both Jax and Jolene were entirely different people with a whole new set of baggage to deal with.

Finishing her joint, Gemma stood up. "I better go and get dinner ready. Clay and Bobby will be by as soon as they get done at the garage. After dinner, we'll get you up to speed on the plans for Luann's services."

"Do you need any help with dinner?" Jolene asked, nodding at the cast on Gemma's arm.

"No, Neeta's at the market now, but she got the bulk of it done already." Gemma smiled. "Boy, is she going to be shocked to see you."

Thinking of the large-hearted and no-nonsense woman, Jolene smiled ruefully. "I'll bet." She replied, standing up as well. "I have to pay a call on an old friend. I'll be back soon."

As Gemma raised her eyebrows at her, Jolene reached over and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back, I promise."

* * *

The sun was slowly setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and red, the beauty of which had little effect on Donna Winston. Getting out of her car after parking in the driveway, Donna stopped to glare at the toys and bicycles currently cluttering her front yard. It didn't surprise her one bit that Mary had failed, once again, to get the twins to clean up after themselves, but after working a full day at Oswald Construction, Donna would be damned if she was going to make dinner _and_ clean up after her lovable, but messy kids.

Nearly tripping over Kenny's skateboard, Donna kicked it halfway to the front door. "Eleanor Mary Winston! Harold Kenneth Winston, Jr.! You get your little raggedy behinds out here and clean up this yard. I nearly killed myself tripping on your mess."

"Aww, mom," Kenny shouted as he and his sister made their way back outside. "Like Dad says, you're not that far off from the ground anyway. You wouldn't have hurt yourself too bad." He snickered.

Donna looked at her smirking son. At seven years old, Kenny was already starting to resemble his behemoth of a father. Pushing almost four and a half feet, Kenny took great pleasure in teasing his vertically-challenged mother every chance he got. "Come over here, you little booger." Donna laughed as she lunged after her son.

Chasing after Kenny and realizing that her inability to catch him was a sign that she needed to find some time to hit the gym, Donna's heart leapt in her chest as she suddenly heard Ellie scream. "Auntie Jo, Auntie Jo!"

Donna, shocked to her core, looked over her shoulder and saw Jolene standing in her driveway with her hands over her mouth.

"Oh my God!" Donna whispered and then screamed it as she took off running. Slamming into each other and hugging each other fiercely, both women fell to the ground, crying and laughing at the same time, as two screaming kids tackled them in a big heap on the Winstons' lawn.

* * *

The procession of motorcycles and cars on route to Charming Memorial Park was almost half a mile long. With Clay leading the procession, followed by Bobby as the Acting VP and Tig as SAA, the rest of the mother charter, serving as honor guard, escorted the hearse carrying Luann's body. Following them were several limousines carrying the old ladies of the members in attendance with the remaining guard made up of the visiting charters bringing up the rear on their bikes. The occasion was a solemn one. Luann had been well liked among all of the charters, needless to say, not just because she had been Big Otto's old lady, but also because of Cara Cara Productions.

As the procession wound its way through the town, many of the townsfolk stopped to pay their respects. In spite of the attitude of some of the towns leading citizens and founding families, namely the Hales, most of the inhabitants of the small town appreciated the role that SAMCRO had played in keeping their town safe. One of them was Chief Wayne Unser.

Unser had coordinated with Bobby and Gemma to provide a police escort including himself and several deputies from Dubrowski's Funeral Home to the burial site. Unser was driving his vehicle alongside the procession. While he hadn't known Luann Delaney very well, he had enjoyed a working relationship with her husband Big Otto. Although Unser had not been as close to the former SAMCRO VP as he was with Clay and Gemma, Unser wanted to show his respect to one of the men responsible for making Charming the safe haven it was for families, thus making his job that much easier.

As the procession finally made its way into the cemetery and came to a complete stop, Unser pulled over and got out of his cruiser. He looked at the limos to see some of the old ladies disembark, and looked for Gemma. With her hair up in a chignon and dressed to kill in a black wrap dress, Gemma still managed to step out of the limo gracefully in spite of her arm, which was still encased in a cast and sling. Unser was about to turn to one of his deputies when he saw another figure step out of the same limo. His eyes widened in shock as he saw what was undoubtedly Jolene Morrow, Clay's long-lost daughter exiting the vehicle.

_Well I'll be damned!_

Looking lovelier than ever, Jolene was wearing a simple little black dress with stiletto heels that made her legs look miles long. She was clutching a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses in one arm, while looping her other through Gemma's good arm as they walked towards the burial site. Unser took a quick look over at his deputies, belatedly remembering that David Hale was not among them, as he was on vacation and would not be back for another week.

 _Good thing too_ , Unser thought. _The boy would probably have a heart attack._

While Hale may have thought that his secret was safe, Unser had been a cop for a long time. He knew how to read people and he had known from the moment Hale had returned to the station house the day he had clocked Jolene speeding that the young man had been sucked in by a pair of lovely seafoam green eyes.

While Unser was happy to see Jolene restored back to her family, and would definitely take the time to welcome her home, for however long she was planning on staying, for the sake of his sanity, he hoped that she wouldn't be sticking around long. If Jax were to get out of the joint to find Hale pressing up on his former old lady, Unser had no doubt that there would be hell to pay and that his deputy chief's body parts would be scattered from here to Stockton.

* * *

With tears running down her cheeks, Jolene laid the yellow roses on top of Luann's casket. She was standing alone as most of the mourners had started back to the vehicles once the service had ended. Jolene felt an arm wrap around her and turned to see Gemma looking at the casket. Gemma had struggled hard to maintain her dignity and façade of calmness, but as she stared at Luann's remains, the one old lady that she felt the closest to and had laughed, loved, and fought with, she had to face some hard truths.

_That could have been me._

A part of Gemma was ashamed that a time like this she could be thinking about her own mortality and not Luann, but standing here with her daughter she realized just how close she had come to missing out on what was sure to be some good, albeit rocky times for Jax and Jolene.

 _If these two finally manage to get their shit together, I can relax, knowing that my son and daughter are truly happy_. Gemma sincerely hoped that was the case so that they could finally get on with the business of making her some grandbabies while she was still young enough to enjoy them. _And I bet those two will make some fuckin' beautiful babies._

Jolene looked at Gemma. "Are you going to be okay?"

Gemma saw Jolene's concern written all over her face. She squeezed Jolene's shoulder and smiled. "I will be, now that you're home."

* * *

The atmosphere in the Clubhouse after the service was very different from the usual Saturday night gatherings. Mourners packed into the Main Room, some talking in low tones and some a little more boisterous, with everyone sharing their favorite stories about Luann. Others, like Luann's protégé Dondo, cried without shame. Several large portraits of Luann and Otto in happier times decorated the Clubhouse. Gemma had insured that a small army of croweaters kept the long table set up against the wall with the mugshots filled with food and the bar well stocked as everyone settled in to reminisce and comfort one another.

In the center of all the activity stood Jolene. Word of Jolene's return to Charming had spread like wildfire before most of the visitors had arrived for the service. As Jolene had hoped, the initial shock of her arrival had dissipated by the time everyone had gathered for Luann's final send-off. As Otto's representative at the funeral, many of the mourners made their way over to speak to her and to request that she pass along their condolences to Otto.

All the mourners, that is, except Wendy Teller.

Wendy was standing in a corner of the Main Room, drinking a beer. She would have preferred her signature drink, a Cosmo, but when she asked the current Prospect manning the bar to make one, Half-Sack had replied, "Sure," and then slapped a beer on the bar.

_I am Jax Teller's old lady, damn it. I deserve some respect._

But she wasn't getting any and once the word got out about their impending divorce, any status that Wendy had as Jax's old lady would dry up quicker than cum on a whore's thighs. Wendy needed to be sucking down a few drinks to numb her current reality as she watched Zeus Esparza warmly hugging and welcoming home the bane of her existence, Jolene Morrow.

It had been bad enough putting up with Mother Gemma and living with the ghost of Jax's former old lady for the past three years. Now, she was being forced to deal with the trick acting as if she were the new Queen of Charming. Wendy had hated Jolene Morrow with a fierceness that defied description ever since the day she had suffered the humiliating experience of getting her ass handed to her by the 18 year old in front of Jax Teller and his brothers at the Devil's Tribe Clubhouse.

Although Jolene had succeeded in beating Wendy's desire to follow SAMCRO back to Charming out of her after their stay in Indian Hills, it may have taken four years, but Wendy had managed to get her revenge. She had always thought that Jolene was too young and unsophisticated to keep a man like Jax interested. Even though there were those of Wendy's acquaintances who believed she had been delusional, Wendy had proven otherwise when she strolled into Charming and stole Jax Teller right out from under Jolene's nose.

 _And all it cost me were my two front teeth_ , Wendy thought sourly, recalling the second beat down Jolene had given her that had served as the catalyst to the bitch leaving Charming and Jax.

Wendy ran her hand through her long extensions, now made with real human hair and rested her well-manicured hand on her hip, which was currently draped in a skin tight designer dress. Looking at her reflection in the mirror above the bar, Wendy smiled to herself. _There are certainly some fringe benefits in being the old lady of the SAMCRO VP._

Unfortunately, not everything that glittered was gold and it was only after Jolene Morrow had left Charming with her tail between her legs that Wendy had realized that she had deluded herself into believing that Jax had any real feelings for her. She had been nothing but a pawn to be used in a situation that she knew absolutely nothing about. Only after the shitstorm had blown over did Wendy learn that Jax had never wanted her in Charming in the first place. Jax knew and had wasted no time in enlightening Wendy to the fact that it had been Clay Morrow who had put a fat carrot on a stick and led her ass to Charming for the sole purpose of breaking up his relationship with Jolene.

The President of the mother charter had probably hedged his bets that Wendy would serve her purpose and be forgotten after Jax had run her out of Charming. But Wendy had decided to make the best of the opportunity that had presented itself. She had known several years ago that life would be better for her in Charming and she was determined to make it happen, so she had deluded herself into thinking that she could make Jax forget his former old lady.

_Look how well that worked out._

Granted, she couldn't lay all the blame at Jax's door. He had tried to her get clean, but in the end, Wendy realized that the moment she did, Jax would feel like he had finally done his good deed for the day and would have had no problem getting rid of her. So Wendy continued to play the damsel in distress, hoping that she could guilt him into loving her. Once out of rehab, she would do well for a little while, only to spectacularly fall off the wagon, hoping to play on the chivalry she had recognized in Jax way back during the Indian Hills run. Jax Teller was not like most other bikers. He was an exception to the rule and Wendy knew that if she played on that goodness, he would never kick her to the curb.

When her damsel in distress routine hadn't netted her the prize she wanted, Wendy tried the oldest trick in the book and had finally succeeded in marrying him. Unfortunately, the honeymoon was over as soon as she "lost" the baby and Jax sobered up. Jolene Morrow cast a long shadow and soon, Wendy found herself living in that big house without the man of her dreams and even more of an outsider in Charming than the day she had first arrived, in spite of now being Jax's wife.

With Jax in prison and him seeming to be quite happy to be there, Wendy had finally caved under his constant nagging for a divorce and had signed the papers. That was then. Now, with Jolene back in the picture and probably itching to scoop Jax up the minute he got out, Wendy wasn't having it. She wasn't going down without a fight.

Wendy pulled herself from holding up the wall and headed to the bathroom. _If I'm going to face this bitch down, I'm going to need a little more than just Dutch courage_ , Wendy thought, as she clutched her purse to her side that held her "Party Pack" containing a trusty spoon, lighter, needle, and dime bag.

* * *

Jolene had finally managed to excuse herself from another meet and greet. It was late afternoon and she had been doing non-stop duty as Otto's rep, circulating and accepting the well wishes of the mourners, helping Gemma oversee the renewal of food supplies, and being shown off to everyone by her beaming father. Emotionally exhausted, Jolene was running on fumes by the time she grabbed the shot of tequila that Half-Sack had poured for her without her having to ask and slipped into the Chapel for a minute to unwind. Jolene had been running a gamut of emotions since learning of Luann's death and, in spite of tragically losing a dear friend, being home and having reconnected with the man she loved had revitalized her. After riding her own roller coaster of extreme highs and extreme lows for the past four years, Jolene felt electrified and alive and oh so grateful to be home once again.

After closing the door behind her, Jolene sat down in the seat closest to the door and kicked off the four-inch black pumps she had been running around in since this morning. With her back to the door, as she knocked back her drink with one hand and massaged her sore feet with the other, she heard the door open and close silently behind her. Looking over her shoulder and expecting to see Gemma, Jolene was taken slightly aback when she got a full load of Wendy Teller instead.

Wendy was leaning against the door, the long curly wave of her blond hair framing her face. She was wearing an indecently tight designer black dress with a plunging neckline and black Chanel platforms. Although Jolene had spotted Wendy during the service and in the Clubhouse, this was her first opportunity to get a really good look at the older woman.

 _Damn, she looks rode hard and put up_ wet, Jolene thought distastefully. While Wendy still had the lush curves that she had used to her advantage as a stripper, Jolene could see the years of meth use and hard living displayed across her face. Although Jolene knew that her old man had never met a pussy he didn't like, she was still hard pressed to believe that Jax would actually do this trick.

Before Jolene could bring herself to care enough to say a word, with crank as her back up, Wendy decided to take the upper hand from the woman that her husband still had a hard-on for. "There's something you need to understand and I'm here to make sure you pick it up quick. Jax is mine, little girl." Wendy growled as she pushed herself away from the door and approached Jolene. "I don't know what lies the Queen Bee or Fat Elvis have been feeding you, but _I'M_ Jax Teller's old lady now, so if you have any thoughts about reconnecting with my man, I'm here to disabuse you of such a notion."

With a bemused half-grin on her face, Jolene bent to the side to slip her heels back on and slowly stood up. With her arms crossed under her chest, Jolene sauntered over to Wendy and stepped right into her personal space, forcing Wendy to fall a step back.

Speaking barely above a whisper, Jolene said softly, "This is neither the time nor the pace for this bullshit and I'm going to do something that I'll probably end up regretting later. Instead of feeding you your own ass _right now_ , I'm going to cut you a break." Taking in the crazy, cranked up look in Wendy's eyes, Jolene shook her head. "Because you're tweaking even as we speak and I'm no goddamn bully, this shit between us right here," Jolene said pointing to Wendy, "Is gonna have to wait, but make no mistake, you cheap Reno pussy. We _will_ have our dance, so, if you're smart, you'll either keep tweaking or you'll stay the fuck out of my face."

Wendy put her hands on her waist and shook her head. "I'm not afraid of you, you know." The slight tremor in voice betrayed the veracity of her words.

Placing her hand on Wendy's shoulder, Jolene abruptly pushed her out of the way. "That's your first mistake." Jolene said as she made her way out of the Chapel.

* * *

Big Otto Delaney prided himself on being the type of man with a steady hand and who kept his emotions on a short leash. As a former soldier in the Army, he had seen his share of combat action and when he joined SAMCRO, he used the skills he had learned for the benefit of his brothers. His grace under fire and cool head quickly earned him his Men of Mayhem patch and he rose through the ranks to become his mentor John Teller's Sergeant at Arms and then VP of the mother charter.

But when Jolene Morrow walked into Stockton's Visitor's Center, Otto's heart melted like chocolate goo.

He stood up as she walked in and sauntered over to him. He could see the eyes of almost everyone in the room, including the bulls, other inmates, and visitors alike, land on her, many leering lustfully, others in admiration, and some with envy, but Jolene paid no attention. She simply didn't notice her effect on those around her as she bee-lined it across the room.

Jolene reached up to give Otto a big hug. "Hey, Big O." Jolene said warmly as she pressed a kiss lovingly on his cheek.

"Hey, Jo. It's great seeing you again." Otto gave her another hug and sat down at the table across from Jolene. Folding his hands, he waited patiently as Jolene took a moment to gather her thoughts. She reached over and covered Otto's hands with her own and in a low voice filled with emotion, she shared the events of Luann's service and all of the messages of comfort that she had been asked to pass along to Big Otto.

After it was over, Otto pulled his hands away to swipe at his eyes and pulled out a blue bandana out of his pocket to blow his nose. Tucking it back into his pocket, Otto reached over to kiss Jolene on her forehead. "Thank you. I couldn't have chosen a better representative. You did Luann proud."

Otto smiled to himself as it was glaringly obvious that the woman sitting in front of him today was miles apart from the one he had seen over a week ago. _She doesn't seem so hard anymore, so lost and alone_. Otto decided to address the reason behind the new woman in front of him.

Otto gave Jolene a cheesy grin. "So you went to see your old man, huh?

Jolene nodded her head. "Yeah."

"And how did it go?" Otto prodded.

"How do you think it went?" Jolene replied with sparkling eyes and a knowing grin on her face.

"Well, I know my brother, so I'm thinking all hell broke loose when he saw his old lady walk in the door." Otto said with a twinkle in his eye. "Are you two good now?"

Jolene nodded brightly. "I look at him and it's almost as if no time has passed between us, Otto. I love him so much. So, yeah, we're better than good. And we have you to thank for that."

Otto shook his head. "You're good people. You two deserve to be happy, when you're not trying to reenact fuckin' Romeo and Juliet."

Jolene snorted. "Hey, I'm nobody's Juliet. If I learned anything these past four years is that I don't need a man in order to survive." Jolene pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one up, and offered one to Otto. Surprised, Otto took one.

As he lit his smoke, Otto wondered about Jo's last statement. Surviving and living were two different things and it was clear to Otto that some changes had been made. Jolene had learned to take care of herself without her old man or her family. The woman who sat before him now was a lot tougher mentally than the one he had known years ago. She had always looked up to Jax, seemed to not mind at all that the tough outlaw biker held the reins in the relationship, and had been willing to follow his lead. But Otto had a distinct feeling that things were going to change once Jax got out of prison. Otto grinned to himself. He only wished that he could have a front row seat to see it.

"Well, now that you're back with your family, you won't have to survive on your own ever again." Otto replied. "I bet it really jumped off in there when you hit town."

"Ya think?" Jolene said snarkily. "One minute everyone was crying tears of joy and the next they were all crawling up my ass."

"You deserved it," Otto laughed as Jolene flashed him the stink eye. "But I won't keep busting your chops about it. Important thing is you're back. What are your plans now?"

"Priority one is getting a job and finding my own place." At Otto's surprised look, Jolene continued. "Jax is going to be in for another six months. I can't just hang around and do nothing until he gets out. The crank whore is still living in my house," Jolene seethed. "And I love my folks dearly, but there is no way I'm going to continue living with Clay and Gemma. I've been on my own for far too long. Besides, I still need to prepare Dad and get him used to the idea of me being with Jax again." _And for a certain little man,_ Jolene thought happily. _God, how I miss my baby._

"Clay doesn't know?" At Jolene's nod, Otto started laughing. "You do remember what happened the last time you surprised your father with your little hook up with Jax?"

"Yeah, I do." Jolene shuddered. "And I don't want it to happen again, so I need to be the one to tell him." Jolene warned Otto. "Me and nobody else."

"Well, he won't hear it from me. You know what they say about messengers and shit." Otto replied. "So where do you plan to work, at T-M?"

"God no!" Jolene said vehemently. "I'm not about to revisit my years of teenage purgatory working in the office. I was good at it, but the only skill I really honed in that place was building up a tolerance for doing tequila shots at nine o'clock in the morning with Piney. Since no one's looking to hire a teacher with a record I'm thinking maybe it's time I figured out a new career path."

Otto rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, maybe I can help you out with that."

* * *

Jax had been waiting for his next visit with Jolene from the moment his last visit with her had ended. He couldn't wait to see her again. The nights in prison had been bad before, but they were almost unbearable now that he knew Jolene was back in his life.

After his pat down at the IPS, instead of escorting him to the VC where Jax was accustomed to seeing his guests, Billy had taken him to a visiting room usually reserved for meetings of a more private nature, such as with attorneys or clergy. The small room had five round tables bolted to the floor and instead of metal chairs like in the VC, there were two separate benches that curled around the tables in half circles. The room was almost empty. Aside from a second guard at the door, Jax was surprised to find Jolene already there and waiting for him. She was on her feet and in his arms the instant he entered the room, which, although not unwelcomed, had Jax worried that she would get tossed because he could do very little to keep his mouth and his hands off of her. Instead of telling Jax to chill with the physical contact, Billy took his post by the door with the other guard. Breaking away from their kiss, Jolene grabbed Jax by the hand and led him to the more secluded table in the corner of the room.

Pulling him down onto the bench next to her, Jolene pulled his mouth to hers again and was back to hungrily kissing Jax.

"Jo, what are you doing, baby?" Jax's eyes were wide, but he couldn't help but smile as Jolene was very discretely unbuttoning his button-fly.

"What do you think I'm doing?" She smiled as she looked him in the eyes, pretending that her hand was not currently snaking its way into his pants.

"Darlin', you're working on getting yourself kicked out of here." Jax replied, his eyes closing against his will as Jolene softly kissed the side of his face while her dainty hand wrapped itself around his already-stiff cock.

"No I won't, baby." Jolene smiled as her other hand guided his mouth back towards hers. "It wasn't cheap, but I promise, I won't get kicked out." Jolene kissed him softly as he groaned against her lips. Her strokes were long and slow, but Jax still had to work really hard to will himself into not cumming so fast.

Breaking away from her kiss, Jax looked over Jolene's head at the two guards standing near the entrance. "We're being watched, darlin'."

"I never figured you for the shy type, Jackson." Jolene teased. Unbuttoning her blouse halfway while maintaining a steady pace on his dick, she winked at Jax. "Come on. You know you want to." She coaxed.

Jax was breathing hard and he wanted nothing more than what she was offering, but he didn't want his old lady fueling the bulls' sick prison sex fantasies.

"Darlin', it is _so_ not a question of what I want, but you really don't have to do this." Jax started.

Jolene laughed softly, a sexy, throaty sound against his mouth. "I know, baby. No one's making me do anything. I can't stop thinking about you, Jax. You have no idea how badly I ache for you, especially at night, but this is the only way we can be together for the next six months. If they wanna get off on me getting you off, that's on them. It's definitely a small price to pay to hear you moan for me."

Never being able to resist her before, Jax was quick to admit defeat and gave in. His mouth enveloping hers, Jax kissed Jolene deeply to keep them both from groaning out loud as slipped his hand into her blouse and gently tweaked her taut nipple before palming and squeezing the beautifully round orb. Biting his lip, Jax buried his face in the crook of her neck as she worked him at a steady pace. Jolene gasped as he first grazed her throat before sinking his teeth to keep himself from moaning too loud. He alternated biting and sucking a bruise on the delicately soft skin as they lost themselves in the rhythm of her tight little fist around his throbbing shaft. Feeling his balls tighten and his cock grow harder than he thought humanly possible, Jax was making guttural noises in the back of his throat as he fought to control the building pressure. With his pulse racing, Jax balled his hands in her hair, breathing hard against her lips. Quickening her pace, she felt his body tense up as he fought to stop the inevitable. Jolene smiled with satisfaction as she watched his pupils dilate. Quickly reaching the point of no return, Jax squeezed his eyes shut as waves of pleasure crashed into him.

"Fuck!" Jax growled through clenched teeth as he came hard in her hand. He kissed Jolene's mouth softly as the feeling slowly came back to his legs. "Holy shit, darlin', you have no idea how fuckin' wonderful that was." His smile was threatening to crack his face in two.

"That was just to whet your appetite, baby." Looking at Jax like the bad girl he knew she was, Jolene smiled coyly as Jax discreetly wiped down her hand with tissue he found in her purse.

Grabbing a hold of her hand, Jax kissed her palm. "These have been the longest five days of my life. I've missed you so much, Jo."

"Me, too." Jolene lovingly caressed his bearded cheek.

"I miss my son, too. How's he doing?"

"Oh my God, he's been talking Ronnie's ear off about you. He misses you so much."

"When are you going to bring him back for a visit?" Jax replied anxiously.

"Sooner than I expected. He loves spending time with his Auntie Ronnie, but he's having a hard time in Seattle without me and now that he's finally met his daddy, he's really having a tough time." Jolene explained and Jax couldn't help but smile proudly. "I miss my baby and I want him with me, so I'm going to tell my dad about us first, Jax. Maybe that'll soften the blow about Abel."

Jax thought about the ramifications of Jolene "springing" Abel on her father, but even more so on his mom. "Gemma's gonna go ballistic, darlin' and I'm not there to rein her ass in." Jax said grimly.

"I can handle Gemma, especially since she has the use of only one arm." Jolene grinned. "I'll be fine."

"You sure? You could bring her here and we could tell her together." Jax offered, not wanting to remind Jolene that only one hand was needed to shoot a gun.

"I'm good, baby and as soon as Abel's 'out of the closet', which should be no later than the end of the week, I'll bring him for a visit, I promise." Jolene gently cupped his face and dropped a kiss on his lips. "Wanna hear some exciting news?"

Jax quirked an eyebrow at the sudden excitement in her voice. "I got a job. I'm the new girl at Cara Cara!"

First Jax's eyes widened, then his face turned as red as a ripe tomato. "Porn?"

"Breathe, baby. I should have worded that differently. How about this? Otto asked me to oversee management at Cara Cara as a Producer." Jolene giggled as Jax heaved gave a sigh of relief. "It's a short term gig, just until they find someone competent to take over the day-to-day, but in the meantime, there are deadlines to meet before the end of the month."

Jax smirked. "You and porn?"

"What's so funny?" Jolene frowned.

"Nothing." Jax laughed. "You and porn is like a wet dream come true for me, Jo. You, on the other hand, darlin', have a low tolerance for, how can I put it?"

"Sluts? Whores? Dirty bitches?"

"Yeah."

Jolene laughed, a little self-consciously. Unfortunately, her tolerance wasn't as low as Jax thought.

"I'll deal. At least I'll be earning a salary again, which will come in handy in finding a place for us to live. Besides, Otto thinks that the legitimate business can be really great for the Club, but as much as he loves his brothers, letting them loose in there would be like unleashing Abel in a toy store. He thinks that my experience teaching means I'm good at cracking the whip. He's going to talk to Bobby this week about getting him to handle the books and to bring it to the table for a vote at Church."

Jax said with a sparkle in his eye, "Well, darlin', I certainly won't mind if you pick up a trick or two while you're working at Cara Cara." As Jolene rolled her eyes, Jax continued. "Hey, it'll make for a really special reunion when I get out of the joint."

"Well, now that you mention it," Jolene replied with a knowing look in her eyes. "I've been thinking about that and I have a couple of ideas. Wanna hear?" She wriggled her eyebrows at him.

"Do you even have to ask? Talk to me, baby. I'm listening."


	4. It's a Boy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

Clay threw his wrench down in frustration. His hands were bothering him more than usual and the pain was making the simple task of turning a nut seem like some medieval torture technique. With his best mechanics out on a run and Lowell backed up until next Tuesday, Clay had no choice but to make the effort and pitch in. He pulled a dirty rag out of the pocket of his work pants and gingerly wiped down his hands. As grateful as he was for the honest work, and lately there had been plenty, Clay was getting too old for this shit. Lowell was just going to have to find a way to fit the Altima into his schedule today. Finishing work on the piston really shouldn't take up that much more of his time anyway and T-M was already half a day late on the job.

On his way to search for Lowell, Clay passed the office and did a double take. Expecting to see Gemma working on the inventory order, he was surprised to find Jolene instead. With her elbow on the desk and her hand on her forehead, Jolene was leaning over a catalog spread out before her, scribbling numbers onto an order form.

"You still remember how to work on an engine?" Clay called out, leaning against the doorjamb.

Jolene looked up and smiled at her dad, lighting up the dingy room and her father's heart. Then she opened her mouth. "Just like riding a biker." She teased with a cheeky grin.

Shaking his head, Clay suppressed a chuckle. "Get your ass over here!" He said with mock gruffness, heading back into the garage. Quickly glancing at the clock on the wall, Jolene jumped up from her seat and followed Clay into the garage, picking up the wrench on the ground next to the Altima.

"What am I looking at?" She asked, peering under the hood.

"Piston rings. Check the seal, but first—" Clay started, but Jolene finished.

"Loosen the bolts on the sliding piston, I know." She leaned into the engine and went to work, forgetting that she was wearing a new top. Clay watched as her hands made quick work of the nuts.

"Where's Gemma?" He asked, holding the sliding piston she had loosened as Jolene worked her hand into the space it had occupied and pulled out one of the rings.

"She asked me to cover for her while she went to St. Thomas for a follow-up with her doctor." Jolene replied, turning the ring over in her hand. "This popped out way too fast, by the way. I think it needs replacing."

"Yeah, that's what I figured." He grabbed the ring from Jolene. Concerned, Clay continued, "I hope Gemma doesn't think she can nag her doctor into removing the cast. It's only been ten days. That shit needs to stay on for six to eight weeks."

"Well, she did say she was getting tired of the heavy cast. If anyone can nag anybody into doing anything that would be Gemma, but between you, me and this wrench, I got the feeling she was just looking for an excuse to give us some alone time." Jolene replied.

Jolene recalled Gemma's comment as she pulled out of the lot. _It's time you took the old bull by the horns, sweetie. Putting off coming clean about Jax isn't going to get any easier._

Clay quirked a questioning eyebrow at Jolene. "She thinks you've been avoiding a certain subject." She advised.

"What subject?" Clay asked defensively.

Jolene finally decided to bring up the elephant in the room. "Two words, starts with Jax, ends with Teller."

"I've got news for you, baby girl, I gave up trying to figure out that relationship a long time ago. Besides, with him in prison, it's not as if I have to worry about the two of you." Clay's eyes narrowed. "Or do I?"

_Shit, why do I feel like a teenage girl about to confess to her daddy she's been hooking up with the local bad boy?_

"Would Jax and I being together again really be so bad, Dad?" Jolene asked, the annoyance clear in her voice as she turned her attention back to the piston rings.

"Jolene, the last time you two were together, I almost lost you." Clay stated. "The thought of my Club ever being a threat to my baby was never a blip on my radar. To tell you the truth, my greatest fear was Jax breaking your heart by not being able to keep it in his pants."

"Isn't that what happened?" Jolene asked sarcastically.

"No, sweetheart, it wasn't." Clay responded and, for a second, Jolene could have sworn she saw remorse in his eyes. "You getting hurt was the worst thing that's ever happened to me. After the shooting, I was in a bad way and, right or wrong, I blamed your old man for not taking better care of you. Truth was, and I was too blind to see it at the time, it could've happened to anyone." Jolene stopped working and turned her attention to her father. "Like his old man JT, Jax is smart and, when necessary, he's got fuckin' ice water running through his veins. First one to jump into a fight and the last one to leave, but when it comes to matters of the heart, he lets guilt and his emotions take control. Jax already felt responsible, especially after finding out about Whistler's involvement, and I did very little to correct his way of thinking. To the contrary, I exploited that guilt because I thought it was for your own good."

"That was so unfair, Dad. It wasn't his fault." Jolene argued angrily.

"Hindsight's twenty-twenty, sweetheart. I see that now. I didn't fully understand the damage I was causing everyone by pushing him to push you into going to San Diego. I refused to let myself see that it was more than just a teenage infatuation on your part. I honestly believed that you would move on from Jax, but that you'd come home after grad school. It never dawned on me that the pain of ending things with Jax would keep us from ever seeing you again." Clay explained. Jolene didn't respond, but the hurt that shot across her face was rivaled only by the rage flashing in her eyes. Clay tried to redirect Jolene's anger. "I know you probably have some left over feelings for Jax, baby girl, but it's been, what, almost four years? You're both different people now. I know he sure as hell is. How do you even know he wants to give it another shot, anyway?"

Straightening up, Jolene placed her hand on her hip and looked her father in the eyes. "Because I went to see Jax in Chino, Dad."

Clay rubbed his forehead and he chuckled. _How come I'm not surprised_? "And?"

" _And_ there are a ton of good reasons for us to give it another shot." Jolene replied. "We still love each other, Dad and we're determined to make it work this time."

_Please don't let him have a coronary on me._

Clay looked at his daughter, his face unreadable. "What if I said that I didn't think that was such a good idea?" He challenged.

"I'd say I love you and I always will, but this isn't your decision to make. I lost the love of my life almost four years ago and I haven't been the same since. I lost my family and my home, the only life I ever knew, and I want it all back, Dad, Jax included, whether you like it or not."

Clay nodded. There wasn't a day that went by where Clay hadn't deeply regretted the decision to force Jolene to leave Charming. While he knew bringing Jax's Reno fling into play would devastate his daughter, Clay had believed at the time that he had done so for the all the right reasons. He never would have guessed that, as a result, he would end up losing the only blood kin that had ever meant anything to him. As if having the guilt of luring Wendy to Charming hanging over his head wasn't bad enough, Clay had the feeling that Jax knew about his involvement in that particular turn of events. Although Jax had never confronted him about it, probably because he'd been too wasted half the time, Clay couldn't take the chance of Jolene ever finding out. With his daughter determined to reconcile with his stepson, Clay decided that, for the benefit of his ongoing relationship with his little girl, it was best if he didn't rock the boat by opposing them getting back together.

"I guess I'm going to have to stop calling you 'baby girl'. You're all woman now. And we—I've—missed you too much to let you leave us now." Clay sighed heavily. "I never wanted the Life for you, but cut or no cut, you're SAMCRO, Jolene. It's in your DNA." Clay decided to bite the bullet and be honest. "And even though I didn't want to believe that Jax was right for you, I can't really picture you with anyone else. Besides, he's been a miserable fuck ever since he married that gash and I need my VP back in full force when he gets out."

"Shit, Dad, you're full of surprises today." Jolene mused, discreetly looking at her watch again _._

Clay shrugged his shoulders. "Gemma wasn't too far from the truth about Jax. Losing you did fuck him up. In spite of how things had gone down, Jax made it quite clear that you were still and would always be his old lady. He dedicated every spare moment he had to tracking you down. That glorified croweater would follow him to and from Reno, but no one, least of all Jax, ever paid her any mind. I was shocked as shit when he came back from one of his drunken binges a married man."

"You and me both." Jolene replied sourly. "And you know what? Gemma said the same exact thing. Couldn't someone have stopped him?"

"Sweetheart, all I know is that Jax went to Reno on a run and when he came back, he was already hitched to the road pussy. Didn't see him smile then, haven't seen him smile since." Clay, who had been leaning against the car, straightened up. "I'll get you the new rings."

* * *

Clay was heading back to Jolene with the piston rings when he saw Gemma's Cadillac pull into the lot. Clay waited by the garage as Gemma strolled over to him sporting a new lightweight black soft cast.

"Hey, babe." Gemma smiled as she reached up to kiss her old man.

Clay put his arms around her slender waist encased in a form-fitting button-down blouse with flowing sleeves. "It looks like you've been liberated. Is that really a good idea?"

"Absolutely. That heavy plaster cast wasn't cutting it. It was either get rid of the damn thing or buy a new wardrobe."

"That's my girl. Fashion's way more important than healing properly." Clay kidded.

"That's exactly what I told the Doc." Gemma flashed him a cheeky grin. Looking towards the office, she asked, "Is Jolene here?"

"Yeah, but I put her to work in the garage." Clay replied as he rubbed his aching hands.

"You want me to give you a shot, baby?" Gemma took one of Clay's hands.

"Maybe later." Clay nodded over to the garage. "Did you set us up for a little alone time?"

 _Yeah, but I'm not telling you that_. Gemma shook her head grimly. "Not really, but I hope you took the opportunity to clear the air. You two needed to talk. There's a lot of unspoken bullshit floating around."

Clay put his arm around Gemma. "She told me she saw Jax in Chino and that they are getting back together. Did you know?"

 _Damn_. Gemma hedged a little. "Yes," Clay rolled his eyes. "But she felt it was her duty to be the one to tell you. I've been caught in the middle before and let me tell ya, it ain't pretty, so I agreed. She was procrastinating, though, so I asked her to come over and cover for me, hoping that she would take the opportunity to finally tell you. So now that you know, how are you feeling about it?" Looking at Clay anxiously, expecting a meltdown of epic proportions, Gemma held her breath.

Clay shrugged his shoulders. "I've got my daughter back. To me, that's all that really matters. I love her and I love Jax, too, even though I'm sure you think otherwise." Clay looked at Gemma. "I may have played my part in Jax pushing her away, but now that she's back, if he doesn't do right by her, if he hurts her again, there will be trouble."

Clay looked over as he saw Jolene exiting the garage, wiping her hands on an old rag as she approached them.

"Hey, Gem, new cast, I see." Nodding at Gemma's arm, Jolene smiled. "Now you can wear that new jacket you picked up in San Leandro."

"I'm glad to see you broads got your priorities straight." Clay said sarcastically.

Turning to Clay with one hand resting on a cocked hip, Jolene rolled her eyes at her father. "And you, what'd you do, Dad? Go to Stockton for the piston rings?" Jolene held out hand as Clay placed them in her palm. Seeing a grey mini-van pull into the lot, Jolene dropped the rings on the ground.

"He's here." She said, her eyes suddenly filled with unshed tears.

"Who's here?" Clay asked, falling into protective mode.

Looking into the steely blue eyes of the man who raised her, Jolene replied softly. "My son."

Jolene started walking towards the mini-van as it stopped in the middle of the lot, near the garage. Clay was nailed to the spot, feeling as if the wind had been kicked out of him. Gemma's hand covered her mouth as the look on Clay's face went from confused to stunned wonderment.

"I have a grandson?" Clay was awestruck as he started walking towards the van.

Jolene had started a near sprint as a tall blond with short spiky hair jumped out of the van and slid open the side door. A little boy, who Gemma noted was about 3 years old, jumped out and started running towards Jolene, his arms outstretched and tears streaming down his face. Leaping into her arms, Jolene wrapped her arms around Abel and hugged him within an inch of his life, peppering his face and hair with kisses. Holding him tight, with his head cradled on her shoulder, Jolene said a silent prayer of thanks. As scary as it was to finally come clean to her folks about Abel, she was just too happy to have her baby back with her where he belonged.

Clay slowly approached Jolene. Lifting his head, the little boy looked up at Clay. "Abel, I want you to meet someone."

"I know you." Abel declared with a smile, hastily wiping the tears from his eyes.

Taken slightly aback, Clay let loose a belly laugh. "Do you now?"

Abel nodded. Pointing his finger at Clay, he declared "You're Grandpa!" Suddenly, he reached out to Clay, who swooped him into his arms and hugged him tightly. Shocked, Gemma could see the tears streaming down her husband's face.

Refusing to believe what she was seeing, Gemma tried to convince herself that the little boy's paternity was questionable by wondering who his father was. She felt her heart drum a staccato beat in her chest as seeing the little boy with shaggy blonde hair, baggy jeans, and white sneakers caused Gemma's memory to time warp. Suddenly, she saw a younger version of herself chasing an exact duplicate of the little boy in Clay's arms around the Clubhouse's Main Room more than 25 years ago. There was no doubt left in her mind as to who the father was as she ran towards Clay.

Jolene now had her arms wrapped around her friend Ronnie Armstrong and was hugging her tightly, thanking her over and over for taking care of her baby. Gemma stopped in front of Clay, who was beaming at the little boy as he gingerly fingered the gold pins on Clay's cut. Looking at Gemma, Clay gave him a slight nod, acknowledging what she already knew, but thus far had gone unsaid. Jolene turned to both her parents and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Does my grandson here know who this is?" Clay asked nodding his head towards Gemma.

"Abel, baby," Jolene said, calling the little boy's attention away from the cigars tucked in Clay's breast pocket. Whipping his head around, Abel caught sight of Gemma and a flicker of recognition brightened up his bright green eyes. "Do you know who this gorgeous lady is?" She asked indicating Gemma.

Abel searched Gemma's face, suddenly beaming a 1000-watt smile. "Hi, Grandma!" He exclaimed in a tiny voice. "Sorry, Grandpa, but I wanna go with Grandma now." Abel said eagerly, his little hands, palms up, reaching towards her.

Gemma quickly glanced over at Jolene, as both women leaked fresh tears. With her heart tightening in her chest, Gemma turned back to Abel and scooped him up from Clay's arms. The little boy wrapped his arms around his grandmother's neck and hugged her as hard as he could. Hugging Abel within an inch of his life, Gemma wept.

* * *

Seated at the head of the Redwood table, Clay could only shake his head as he looked at his little girl. An outlaw biker for almost his entire life, he wasn't used to being so in touch with the flood of emotion that was currently coursing through him. Elation. Disappointment. Joy. Hurt. Fuck! He was _definitely_ too old to be dealing with this shit. "Why didn't you tell me?" He finally asked, choosing disappointment in his head-strong daughter as the first emotion to tackle. "I had a right to know."

"We all had a right to know." Gemma added, bitterly. _The little heifer was pregnant before she left_. The first clue, Gemma realized, had been Jolene's dizzy spell in her kitchen shortly before she had left Charming.

Jolene shot right back. "Listen, with the way things ended between me and Jax, I was heartbroken and I wasn't thinking straight. How was I supposed to know how he'd react after I picked up and left? I thought he would resent me for leaving and I was afraid he'd not only reject me, but my baby, too. I was afraid he'd want me to terminate the pregnancy."

"Sweetheart, you obviously did _not_ know my son." Gemma said gruffly. "Did you even bother to tell him when you went to see him?"

"Of course I did and he sure as hell took it a lot better than you." Jolene retorted angrily.

She knew Jax better than anyone, including his mother, or at least that was the case before she had left Charming. Deep down Jolene had known that Jax would have never rejected her or their son. Rather, it had been Jolene who had not been emotionally prepared, or mature for that matter, to deal with coming back to Charming after finding out she was knocked up, not after the humiliation she had suffered. Truth was, had she known she was pregnant before leaving for San Diego, she never would have left, but after she was gone, she was too prideful to crawl back.

Hearing that Jax had taken the news of being a father in stride only reinforced what Gemma already knew. Jax, who never got infatuated with pussy, was still in over his head when it came to his old lady. He would have forgiven her anything if it meant having her back and, although she was glad Jolene was home, especially now that she had a grandson, this was something Gemma was seriously going to have to discuss with Jax. How could she ever trust Jolene again?

"Still, you should have said something." Gemma insisted. "For almost three years you kept my grandbaby away from his family."

Bobby, who had just returned from a gig in Tahoe and had walked smack dab into this debate only moments after Abel's arrival, put his two cents in. "Kit, you know I love you like you were my own, but I have to agree with Gemma."

"Uncle Elvis, I love you, too, I love you all. You have to believe when I say that not a day goes by that I don't wish I had done things differently, but I can't change history. I've had a rough ride these past 4 years and I can't really bring myself to give a flip what anyone thinks of me right now." Jolene started as Gemma continued to glare. "Yes, leaving was a mistake and yes, staying away after finding out I was pregnant was a mistake, too, but by the time Abel came around, I had other things on my mind."

"Like what?" Gemma questioned sarcastically.

"First and foremost, my son's health. Abel was born ten weeks premature and sick. I was in the hospital myself for almost a month. It was an extremely difficult birth and it was a little touch-and-go for both of us there for a little bit. Abel was in the hospital until his first birthday."

"Family flaw?" Gemma asked, her heart breaking as she cursed her bad genes.

Jolene nodded. "I don't have to tell you what it's like watching your little boy fight for his life. Charming was the last thing on my mind." Jolene explained bitterly.

"You should've come home to your family. There was no need for you to go through all that shit alone." Gemma retorted.

"There was no coming home for Abel, don't you understand? The possibility that I would be bringing my baby home in a box was very real, Gemma. Is that what you really would have wanted?" Jolene demanded. "My _family_ treated whether or not I should go to San Diego like Club business. No one bothered to ask me how I felt, least of all the father of my baby. In spite of all that, I did more for you, for this family, than I did for myself." Jolene leaned across the table to look in Gemma's eyes. "I know how devastated you were when Thomas died. I may have grown up without my mother's love and I was young, but it doesn't mean that I didn't know enough to understand a mother's grief. I thought the worst thing I could do was to bring home a sickly baby only to have him die." Jolene's voice broke and Clay reached out to clasp her hand consolingly.

"Forgive me if you can and if not, I don't blame you, but getting my son the treatment he needed was my only priority. In spite of being in and out of the hospital for over a year and the multiple surgeries he's had to endure, my baby is finally completely out of the woods and healthy. Knowing what you yourself had to endure, can't you at least find it within yourself to be grateful for that?" She pleaded. "I've been contemplating coming home ever since Abel got a clean bill of health, but I was too scared that everyone would hate me. After finding out about Luann, I realized that Abel would never get the chance to meet her and that broke my heart. It took Otto to give me the push I needed to finally come home. I couldn't stand the thought of my son never getting the chance to know the people that I love the most. Abel deserves to know his family and his heritage." Jolene shook her head sadly. "But maybe coming back now was a mistake. Maybe there's just too much hurt to come back from."

Adding sadness to his already-overflowing well of emotions, Clay realized just how much Jolene had suffered being on her own. Nothing surprised him more, however, than feeling the cold fingers of fear crawl up his spine. Clay Morrow feared nothing and nobody, but looking at his beautiful daughter, he knew exactly what that sick feeling in the pit of his stomach was. The woman sitting in front of him was very different from the one who left Charming more than three years ago. Clay looked to his right at Bobby and he could see his own fear reflected in Bobby's eyes. If they pushed Jolene too far in taking her to task about not bringing Abel home sooner, she might decide that she didn't need her family after all. She had managed to survive without SAMCRO all this time, but Clay was not about to let his baby leave Charming again, this time with his grandson in tow.

Clay could see that Gemma was practically shaking she was still so enraged. With one hand clutching Jolene's, Clay grabbed Gemma's hand and squeezed. "I know all this is difficult to process right now, but you know what?" Clay smiled a big cheesy grin. "I got my daughter back and a beautiful grandson to sweeten the deal. This family does have a lot of healing to do and we'll get through it, I promise, but we need to start the healing process now."

Clay looked at Gemma as she pulled her hand out of his grasp and addressed Jolene. "In spite of what you may be thinking of me right now," Gemma started bitterly. "I was devastated when you left Charming and I had to watch that same devastation eat away at my son, my husband, and this Club. However misguided Jax and your father were in thinking you'd be better off in San Diego, just remember they did it because they loved you." She sighed heavily. "That being said, I was just as mad at them as I was at you for leaving, so if I can forgive the men in my life for driving you away, I guess I can accept that you made a serious error in judgment out of the same misguided love you have for me and your family. We should have been allowed to be there for you and Abel, Jolene, but Clay is right." Looking around the table, Gemma smiled. "Maybe it's time for all of us to start being a family again."

* * *

Although the doors of the Chapel were made of solid wood, from the intermittent shouting and raised voices it was clearly apparent to all those in the Clubhouse that all hell had broken loose. But in spite of the battle currently raging on behind closed doors, a mini-celebration had erupted in the Main Room as the rest of SAMCRO met the newest little Prince of Charming, Abel Teller.

Abel, who was currently holding court while Ronnie held him on her lap, had his mother's outgoing nature. He was talking quickly to anyone and everyone, his eyes darting around constantly as he took in the Clubhouse and the faces of his father's brothers. Asking questions about the mug shots on the wall and the Chapel that his mother had reluctantly been dragged into sometime before, it became obvious to SAMCRO's members that the little man had been made well acquainted with his biker heritage.

But Abel was also very much his father's son. When Cherry, a sweetbutt from Indian Hills, who had recently hooked up with Half-Sack, approached, Abel's attention quickly fixated itself on the petite brunette.

"Aww, what a precious little thing you are." Cherry cooed as she held out her arms and Abel didn't hesitate to jump right in.

"Hi. You pretty! What's your name?" He flashed her the patented Teller smile that both father and son reserved only for the females of the species.

Laughing, Cherry exclaimed, "Aren't you a little charmer? My name's Cherry."

As Abel beamed angelically, Piney who was currently leaning on the bar with a shot glass brimming with his beverage of choice, cracked up. "Shit, no doubt Jax shot that one out all right. The apple didn't fall far from that tree." He wheezed, finally succumbing to taking a hit from his portable oxygen tank.

"Aye, brutha!" Chibs laughed. "We better watch out for this one! We'll have to fight him off for any time with the crow—the ladies." Chibs quickly corrected himself as Ronnie gave him a sideways glance.

Emily Duncan, one of Chibs' favorite croweaters, sidled past him. Stroking Abel's wavy blond hair, she replied, "You may have to. He's such a cutie." She purred. _I never cared for the bitch but, damn, Jolene Morrow and Jax Teller sure did make a beautiful son_. Abel was lapping up the attention, a miniature grin just like his father's plastered on his small face.

Commenting on her thought aloud, Emily looked at Chibs. "Sugar, not that there was ever any doubt, but Jax sure can make some gorgeous babies."

 _God, if I don't get all these croweaters and sweetbutts away from her son, Jolene is going to rip my head off and shit down my neck_ , Ronnie thought apprehensively. Remembering Jolene's crash course on MC world hierarchy, Auntie Ronnie was about to ask the SAA with the curly black hair and slightly crazed eyes to step in and do crowd control, when a voice called out from the middle of the room.

"I seriously doubt that little bastard's Jax's." Wendy said viciously. As everyone turned shocked glares toward Wendy, she continued. "The little slut probably doesn't even know who the real father is."

Twice in the less than ten days, Wendy had been shocked to her core. First, Jolene shows up out of the blue and now she's touting the little _brat_ , who also seemingly fell out of the sky, as Jax's kid. She had been waiting for another hammer to fall, but Jolene producing Jax's alleged son had not even been a blip on her radar.

Not realizing that the doors to the Chapel had opened, Wendy prepared to launch another assault on Abel's unlikely parentage, when another voice echoed in the Clubhouse.

"Ronnie, please take my son outside." Jolene was crossing the room towards the bar while removing her silver hoop earrings and pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

Not wanting him to see his mother go spider monkey crazy, Ronnie snatched Abel from Cherry and quickly headed towards the door and exited the Clubhouse.

 _Oh, shit._ Tig gleefully pulled out his phone. _Jax is gonna love the shit outta this!_

Deciding to take the upper hand, Wendy charged towards Jolene, but before she could draw up enough breath to hurl another insult, Jolene grabbed her by the throat and threw her against the bar next to Piney, who remained totally unfazed.

"You have something to say about my son, say it to my face." Jolene practically growled as she tightened her hold on her neck, forcing a stifled squeak out of Wendy. "Huh? What was that? You have to speak up 'cause I can't hear ya."

Seriously fighting off the urge to pass out as she struggled to get air into her lungs, Wendy lashed out. Jolene let go and suddenly, both women were pummeling each other with fists, causing glasses and bottles to fly off the bar.

"Why the fuck are you just standing there?" Clay, who had missed hearing Wendy's verbal attack on his grandson, thundered into the Main Room just as Wendy picked up a broken bottle. "Stop this shit now!" Chibs and Happy sprang into action and struggled to pull the women apart as Jolene banged Wendy's wrist against the edge of the bar until she dropped the bottle.

Quickly running to Jolene, Gemma wasn't the least bit surprised to find her unscathed. "You okay?"

"Never better." Jolene smirked. "You might wanna check on your daughter-in-law, though." She nodded towards Wendy, who was holding her throbbing wrist against her chest and bleeding from a split lip.

Grabbing Wendy by her blouse, Gemma pushed her towards Chibs. "Clean her up." Rolling his eyes, Chibs obliged as he dragged Wendy off to the dorms to patch her up.

Nudging Happy with his elbow, Tig flashed him a shit-eating grin. "Bro, it's nice to know some things never change, huh?"

* * *

Wendy was sitting on the edge of the bed in one of the vacant dorms as Chibs wordlessly worked to quickly clean her up.

 _The glorified croweater had it coming_ , Chibs thought, unable to muster a drop of sympathy for the parasitic junkie. _Knowing Jackie Boy, it could have ended way worse for her had he heard the product of his love for 'lil luvvie called a bastard_.

Finally left alone as Chibs went to get rid of the bloody gauze and the first aid kit, Wendy jumped up and went into the small bathroom to assess the damage in the mirror.

"Fucking whore!" Wendy exclaimed through clenched teeth as she noted the bruising around her left eye and cheek. _That bitch tore me up—again!_

Hearing the door open and thinking it was the Scotsman, Wendy returned to the room only to be confronted by Mother Gemma. "You'd think you would have learned your lesson by now. What's this, like the third time Jolene's handed your ass to you? At least this time she didn't knock any teeth out."

Shaking her head, Wendy said bitterly, "I _really_ don't need this shit right now, Gemma _._ "

"Do I look like I give a rat's ass about what you need right now?" Catching Wendy off guard, Gemma grabbed hold of her shoulder and shoved her hard enough for Wendy to fall on her ass back down on the bed. "If you _ever_ open your mouth and say another word about my grandson, I promise, I will rip you to pieces and use you to fertilize my garden."

Wide-eyed, Wendy looked up at the older woman who seemed to tower over her. "It seems to me that you need a little refresher course regarding your true status here in Charming, so listen up. You are Jax's old lady in name only, but because of my son's hyperactive sense of responsibility and duty, Clay and I have extended you the courtesy of allowing your continued association with the MC. As requested by Jax, and only God knows why, we're keeping quiet about the divorce until its final just so you won't lose face among your crow-eating friends. That was a courtesy that you did not extend to Jolene Morrow, the one and only old lady in this world worthy of my son. Knowing Clay like I know I do, that deal will become null and void if you keep talking shit about a situation you know nothing about."

Gemma bent down, getting into Wendy's face so close that she could have kissed her. "Clay is over the moon that his baby girl has returned with our grandson and I will not have his or anyone else's happiness ruined. I will do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen and considering all the bridges you managed to burn since chasing away the SAMCRO Princess, no one will give a missing crank whore a second thought, including Charming PD. _Am I making myself clear_?"

Wendy nodded, her eyes downcast. As Gemma stalked out of the room, Wendy exhaled a shaky breath as she rubbed her sore wrist. An addict she might be, but she was nobody's fool. Although she knew Gemma had enough pull to follow through on her threat, Wendy still had several aces up her sleeve.

"It's not over yet."

* * *

The small motel on the outskirts of Pope had a reputation for two providing two vices to its clientele: crank and pussy. It was the current base of operations for the Nords illegal prostitution business. As Wendy pulled up behind the motel in her car, she quickly parked and flipped down the visor to check herself in the mirror. She had done the best she could to hide the ravages of Jolene's attack, but with her eye partially swollen, she still looked like she'd been on the receiving end of an epic beat down.

Exiting the car, Wendy walked in through the back entrance and headed towards the room of her current "prison clause" boyfriend. Wendy's had her share of them, varying in size, shape, and color ever since Jax went inside, but this one in particular really suited her bill.

Dahlmer was a low-level grunt in Ernest Darby's crew, but he was real good at providing the two things Wendy enjoyed the most out of life, getting high and getting fucked. Wendy quickly primped again before knocking on the door, adjusting her cleavage to its best advantage to hopefully deflect from the fact that she was tore up from the floor up.

When the door finally opened, a brawny arm grabbed Wendy's and yanked her inside, shoving her up against the wall.

 _Great, rough and ready, just the way I like it_.

* * *

Donna Winston was a tired hot mess. It had been a long day at Oswald Construction and for the third time in a week she was in no condition to cook a fresh meal for her and the kids. Hanging up the phone, Donna let her hands travel down her hips, which seemed to be increasing exponentially. Eating pizza every other night was having an effect on her ass in more ways than one. Grateful for her husband's almost unhealthy fixation on her ass while she was pregnant, Donna knew Opie wouldn't complain about "more cushion for the pushing."

 _What is it about bikers and their obsession with that particular part of a woman's body_ , Donna thought wryly.

Donna took a quick shower and joined the twins, who were currently finishing up their homework at the dining room table when the doorbell rang.

"That was fast." Donna commented as she reached for her purse.

Kenny got up from the table and held out his hand for the delivery boy's tip. "Let me get it, Mom."

"Aww, aren't you the little helper." Donna replied as she opened her wallet and held out some bills.

"He just wants to get it so that he can scope out the best piece first." Ellie said snarkily.

"Snitches get stitches, Ellie!" Kenny shot back as he snatched the money from his mother and ran to the front door.

Donna was helping Ellie clear the table when she heard what was most definitely Jolene and not the pizza delivery boy talking to Kenny. Smiling, Donna walked to the foyer and stopped short.

Standing by the front door stood Kenny looking up at Jolene with a confused look on his face. Resting on Jolene's hip, which was cocked to one side, was a beautiful little boy.

"Who's that, Auntie Jo?" Kenny was asking.

"This is my son, Abel." Jolene smiled ruefully at her open-mouthed friend. "Sorry, D. I guess I neglected to mention some things."

* * *

In the back yard, the laughter of children echoed as the sun slowly set. Donna and Jolene were sitting at the patio table, with Donna polishing off the contents of a bottle of wine and a second bottle sitting at the ready, waiting to be opened.

It was taking Donna some time and a lot of alcohol to process what Jolene was telling her. Having heard her story in its entirety twice, Donna still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that her bestie was a mommy and that she was only finding out about it now.

"How could you not tell me?" After having explained the turmoil she had suffered having to come clean to Jax about a son he never knew he had, plus the verbal smackdown she had gotten courtesy of Gemma, Jolene flashed Donna a look that begged "please don't fuck with me." "Okay, I know, I get it, but still. I can't believe you went through it all on your own. Well, actually, I can believe it. You're the strongest person I know, but _still_." Donna took another gulp of wine.

"Well, I wasn't completely alone. I had Ronnie, but yeah, I needed to prove to myself that I wasn't like my egg donor. My stubborn pride demanded that I prove to myself that I could be independent and the type of mother that my son could count on always being there by never giving up on him. Now that Abel is safe and whole, I have to tell you, you were absolutely right about how hard raising a child is, but I love him so much. I'll do whatever it takes to keep him healthy, happy, and safe."

"So, how is this going to work between you and Jax?" Donna queried. "Are you sharing custody?"

"Not exactly." Jolene started soberly. "We're going to raise our son together."

At Donna's wide-eyed look, Jolene continued. "D, Jax never stopped being my old man. The time and distance didn't change the feelings we have for each other. I love that asshole, so while he's still in lock up, we're working on fixing what we had. When Jax gets out, we're going to be a family, like I know we were always meant to be."

"Does that mean Wendy Case is out of the picture?"

"She will be soon enough." Jolene replied. "His divorce should be final around the same time he gets out."

Looking at Abel playing on the swings with Kenny and Ellie, Donna shook her head, recalling the Jax she had grown to resent and pity at the same time during these past four years. "He must have lost his mind when you told him everything you went through."

Jolene sighed. "Pretty much, but we're starting over with a clean slate. We both know how badly each of us messed up, but if he can forgive me and I can forgive him, then we have to finally forgive ourselves and move on." Jolene leaned back in her chair. "And I'm doing just that by getting ready for his homecoming. First item on the agenda is finding a place to live."

Donna wrinkled her nose. "What about your house?"

"I loved that house, D, but God only knows how many ho bags Jax brought in there, including the one currently in residence. I'd sooner drop dead before I set foot in that house ever again." Jolene declared. "I'm going to find a little apartment for the three of us. I have to find something soon, probably already furnished, before I start my new job."

"You got a job?" Donna said excitedly. "Damn, girl, you sure work fast. Where?"

Jolene straightened up in her patio chair. "You are looking at the newest employee of Cara Cara Productions."

 _OMG, my best friend has completely lost it._ "Shit, Jo, have things really changed that much?" Donna grabbed the second bottle of wine, only to reconsider. Making to get up from her chair, Donna said, "I think I need something stronger than this."

Jolene grabbed Donna and pushed her back into her chair. Bubbling over with laughter, Jolene gasped. "Really? D, you know me better than that. I won't be in _front_ of the camera. Per Otto, I'm running the show as Producer. It's only for the short term, until the studio can find someone permanent and I can figure out what to do with myself since teaching seems to be out of the question."

"Thank God! Who's watching Abel while you work?"

"Do you really have to ask?" Jolene laughed. "Gemma and Neeta have already started their tug o' war over who gets first dibs. Between those two, I almost didn't get out of the house with Abel to come see you, but I didn't want you to hear about him from anyone else."

Standing up, Jolene stretched her legs. "I've got to get back home. Uncle Elvis is at the house whipping up a batch of his homemade Mac and cheese for Abel to celebrate his first day home." Jolene smiled. He'd done the same for her on her first day in Charming when she was six. "If I don't get him back to his grandparents soon, they'll send Happy to come hunt me down."

Sure enough, Jolene's cell phone went off. Looking down at it, she saw the house phone number flash across the screen.

"Abel, honey." Jolene called. "We have to go. Grandma wants us home for dinner."

"Okay." Abel obediently jumped off the swings and headed towards his mother.

"Between all the cooking and baking Bobby, Gemma, and Neeta are doing—all of Jax's favorites for his son—we'll be eating for the next three days."

"Girl, are you prepared for _Grandma_ Gemma?" Donna said. "I have to think that she's a lot worse than _Mother_ Gemma."

"Don't you worry about me." Jolene said with a light in her eyes. "I'm Baby Momma and I can handle my shit. Nobody messes with me or gets between me and my son." Donna smirked as she realized that Jolene had no clue how very much like Mother Gemma she sounded.

* * *

"It's your Moms, man." Billy dropped the bomb on Jax as they headed to the VC. "I'm sorry. I know you were hoping for your woman."

Jax nodded his head at the C.O. "It's all good, bro. I haven't seen my mom since her car accident, so she must be doing better."

"Well, if the reaction of some of the guys over at the VC is anything to go by, your Moms is looking _really_ hot." Bobby grinned, seeing the slightly embarrassed half-smile that spread across Jax's face.

"You do know that there are just some things a grown man doesn't want to hear about his mother, right?" Jax replied as Billy cut loose with a belly laugh.

Jax was certainly glad to see Gemma again, but he wasn't entirely sure what type of reception he was going to get from her. Jax knew that his mother would be thrilled that Jolene was back home with her family where she belonged. She had been devastated when Jolene had pulled up stakes and left Charming, only to fall completely off the grid two months later.

Staying away from the family that had raised and loved her because of a foolish mistake on his part was one thing. But keeping the future heir apparent from his grandparents was something else entirely.

Knowing how volatile Jolene could be when pushed against a wall by an equally strong-willed woman, Jax thought ruefully, _I just hope Jolene didn't break Ma's other arm_.

* * *

Gemma Teller-Morrow strode across the floor of the Visitor's Center towards her son. Her legs looked miles long in a figure hugging pair of dark wash, boot-cut denim and black designer boots with four-inch stiletto heels and silver accents. Her impressive rack was squeezed into a similarly tight V-neck white sweater and a fitted black leather jacket, with a designer shoulder bag completing the outfit. The only exception to the stunning outfit was the black soft cast on her left arm.

Jax got up to greet his mother. As his arms closed around her, Jax suddenly found his eyes tearing up. This was the first time that he had seen her since the car accident that had taken Luann Delaney's life. Holding her in his arms made Jax realize just how close he had come to losing her, the woman who had brought him into this world, who was such a forceful presence in his life, and who had shaped and helped define the person that he had eventually become. "Ma." He whispered.

As Jax pulled away to look into his mother's eyes, Gemma smiled at him, running her hand down his cheek to his scruffy goatee.

"Hey, baby."

* * *

"So you've gone and made me a grandma." Gemma smiled. Jax and Gemma were sitting across from one another at Jax's favorite table. "He's so beautiful, baby. It's like seeing you reborn all over again." Gemma discreetly wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

"Really?" Jax asked, beaming with pride. "I see so much of Jo in him."

Jax recalled with fondness his first visit with his son. During their play time, Abel's nose had started to drip. When Jolene asked him to come over so she would wipe it, thereby interrupting Abel, who was currently having a good time with his father, he put both of his hands on his hips and, with his voice full of snark, as if he were the one speaking to a child, replied, "Mommy, I play wit Daddy now, okay?"

"Oh, no." Gemma shot back. "He is all you." Gemma smiled to herself as she recounted Abel's first bath.

Having become very much at home with his grandparents, Abel had no problem speaking his mind with Gemma, just like his father. He had taken control of bath time by instructing his grandmother where to wash, not to stick her fingers in too hard when washing his little ears, and that he didn't like the soap she was using. _And when my back was turned, the little rug rat had ran out of the bathroom, naked and soaking wet._ Abel was a little more well-mannered than Jax had been at his age, with his "please" and "thank-yous", but he was still a mischievous little charmer, very much like his old man.

Gemma filled Jax in on the details of Abel's homecoming, leaving out the slugfest that had erupted in the Clubhouse between Jolene and Wendy. Hearing how happy his brothers had been to welcome home his old lady and son had Jax wishing for his freedom now more than ever. He was missing out on so much. But soon, Jax consoled himself, soon he would be out and with his family where he belonged. Jax said as much to Gemma, providing the opening she had been waiting for.

"Speaking of which," Gemma started. "How serious are you about working things out with Jolene or is this just about getting your time with Abel?" She asked, forcing the smile to fall off of Jax's face as he quirked an eyebrow at her. "Because if you're worried that Jolene's going to keep your son from you again, I can talk to Rosen, have him file a motion requesting that I get temporary custody, just until you get out."

Jax narrowed his eyes, apprehension tying his stomach in knots. "Don't even think about it, Gemma." Jax warned, shaking his head. "Abel is with his mother, exactly where he belongs. Jo and I are working on us and as soon as I get out, we're gonna be a family."

Gemma raised her chin slightly as she sat back in her chair. Just as she suspected, her lovesick son was prepared to forgive Jolene anything if it meant having her back in his life. "And just how sure are you that you're both on the same page, Jax? You absolutely sure that when the going gets tough, your old lady won't skip town again, only this time taking your son with her?"

With a clenched jaw, Jax stared at his mother as he tried to calm down by reminding himself how close he'd come to losing her. He tried convincing himself that Gemma was just being Gemma, but Jax was a grown man and a seasoned patch. He certainly didn't need his mother fighting his battles or involving herself in his relationship with his old lady, the only woman he would ever love.

"Stop." Jax almost snarled, his cold, blue glare unnerving Gemma. "I love Jolene and Abel is _our_ son. Don't ever suggest challenging her for custody to me or anyone else, for that matter, ever again."

"Jax—" Gemma started, but Jax stopped her.

"I mean it, Mom." Jax looked her in the eyes. "Jolene and I are both guilty of making some really bad choices, but the truth is that the lion's share of the responsibility for how things ended falls on me."

"She kept that beautiful baby boy away from you, _from us_ for over three years, Jax. I'm supposed to just fall in line behind you and Clay and everyone else who refuses to take her to task out of fear that she'll bolt again?" Gemma argued.

"Yeah, that's exactly what you need to do." Jax replied strongly and Gemma made a huffing sound as she shook her head incredulously. "Jolene knew she was pregnant the last time I saw her in San Diego, before she fell off the grid." He announced and for a moment, his mother looked like she had lost the ability to speak. "This is more than you need to know, but I'm telling you anyway just so that you'll understand what an asshole I was. I pushed her away by telling her that I wanted her, but it had to be a no-strings-attached deal. I reduced the mother of my son to nothing more than some whore on a run."

Gemma was shaking her head. "You may have been an asshole, but you didn't have all the facts, Jackson. She was wrong in not telling you then and keeping it a secret for three years. Even though I hate to say it, I can't trust that she won't do something like that again."

Jax sat back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. "Okay, we're not getting anywhere, so just let me put it to you like this." He sat forward again, his hands balled up fists on the table separating him and Gemma "It doesn't matter if you don't trust her because I do. I don't give a fuck what you think and the matter is no longer up for discussion. Jolene's back with my son and she wants me back in her life. If anyone says or does anything that drives my old lady away, I might as well not leave Chino because I'll only end up here again anyway. So suck it up and get on board because right now you're just an old lady standing in my way, and if I have to, I will run your ass over. We clear?"

* * *

It had been a really good visit. To start, that is.

Sitting in one of the booths running along the windowed exterior wall of Nicky's Diner, Abel had consumed only a small portion of the ice cream his mother had promised him. Normally, he would be over the moon for one of his favorite treats, but it wasn't doing the job. Not this time.

_Can I really blame him? I already miss Jax, too._

The ice cream had been meant to console Abel, who was still upset about having only a short visit today with his daddy. Today's visit had gone even better than the first. Abel had practically ignored Jolene to be, say, and do everything his father did and Jax seemed to be in awe of his son. Abel had handled leaving Jax the first time so well that Jolene thought it would be as easy the second time around.

It wasn't. Not by a long shot.

When it was time to leave, Abel had refused to go and, for the first time that Jolene could recall, had thrown a tantrum of majestic proportions. She couldn't get through to him to calm him down. It was Jax who had actually soothed the child to the point that he was finally able to pry his son's arms from around his neck. Jolene promised Abel his favorite treat to make up for leaving, which was why they were currently at Nicky's Diner eating some mediocre ice cream.

Seeing Abel poking at his quickly melting bowl of chocolate ice cream, Jolene said, "You don't really want that, do you?"

Abel looked up at his mother with sad eyes. "I want Daddy."

"I know, baby boy. I do, too." Right then and there Jolene realized that she couldn't allow Abel to suffer being without his father if he didn't have to. She had looked into "family visits" for inmates with spouses and children. As Abel's father, Jax was entitled to extended, overnight visits with his son about once every six weeks, depending on his behavior during lock-up. Since she and Jax weren't legally married, Jolene wouldn't be allowed to accompany Abel, but a blood relative of Jax, such as a parent, could. The thought of Gemma getting to enjoy an overnight visit with her men before she would be able to hurt Jolene, but she couldn't let petty feelings of jealousy keep father and son from enjoying important bonding time together.

As she lovingly smoothed down his hair and pressed a kiss on the top of his sweet-smelling head, Jolene made Abel a silent promise. First thing Monday morning, Jolene was going to contact the Club's attorney to see what he could do to get Jax an extended visit with their baby. Picking up his bowl, Jolene carried it to the counter and handed it to one of Donna's former co-workers as the front door opened. Jolene looked up to see David Hale walking into the diner and heading straight for her.

* * *

_Holy shit!_ _She's back._

The last person David Hale had ever expected to see in Charming again was Jolene Morrow. At first, Hale thought he was hallucinating as he approached the entrance of Nicky's Diner. But there was no mistaking that lush body and those long midnight curls that trailed down her back and had haunted his dreams for years. A top athlete since his youth, Hale was used to always being the big man on campus. Although modest to the point of being humble, he never had the need to chase tail as it always chased him. Not so different from Jax Teller as he would like to think himself to be, Hale could have his pick of women and getting laid had never been a problem. Yet David Hale never obsessed over women, that is until the day he had clocked the lead-footed daughter of SAMCRO's President doing 96 miles an hour. Enthralled from the moment she had slammed him with those beautiful large green pools she had for eyes, Hale had come to realize that, as far as Jolene was concerned, he had turned into a borderline stalker.

As straight as an arrow and by the book as he liked to believe himself to be, Hale knew he was crossing the line when, almost six months ago, he used some of his contacts in law enforcement, at the state as well as federal level, to track down Jolene, only to find that she was just mere hours away after relocating to Seattle. He sat on the information, waging an internal battle with himself. In good conscience he could not allow himself to use the information he had acquired to his benefit. All bets were off, however, when a tailor-made event fell into his lap. When Chief Unser grumbled about an invitation he received to speak at the Interstate Law Enforcement Conference in Seattle on the trials of a small town police department, Hale wasted no time volunteering to go in his place.

Hale convinced himself that fate had intervened, so while Unser was off with his wife Della on a cruise, Hale traveled to Washington a few days before the conference to observe Jolene and find the perfect place to "accidentally" run into her.

Their "by-chance" encounter at Jolene's favorite diner couldn't have gone better. Jolene had matured into an even more beautiful, self-assured woman and, after the initial shock of seeing him, Jolene happily agreed to join him for dinner that night. What seemed like an impromptu dinner invitation at an upscale and exclusive restaurant, which was conveniently located in the hotel he was staying in for the conference, had actually taken weeks of planning.

Although they both enjoyed each other's company throughout dinner, Hale had suffered several moments of remorse and guilt as he realized just how manipulative he had been with Jolene. Yet every time he thought about coming clean with her, all he could think about was that by doing so he might be throwing away his one and only opportunity to convince her that he was the man she really needed to be with.

Hale had fantasized about how it would be to make love to Jolene, but nothing had really prepared him for just how good it really was. She had been such a loving and giving partner, playfully demanding, and extremely sexual in nature. The entire experience had blown him away and left him in complete awe of her, as if that were in any way more possible.

The only thing that had disconcerted him was seeing Jax Teller's crow.

 _Apparently,_ _however, 'Property of' didn't mean what it used to_ , Hale thought sardonically.

He couldn't blame Jolene for defacing such an exquisite body with that hideous tattoo. She had been pre-conditioned from childhood to accept that lot in life. Teller wasn't worthy of being anyone's old man, certainly not someone like Jolene, who despite everything she had been exposed to in the Life, had managed to pull herself out of it and make something of herself. Hale's blood ran cold when he thought of how close she had come to dying that night outside Floyd's. The only good thing Teller had managed to do was to finally let her go.

And now here she was, back in Charming. With Teller in Chino for at least another five months, Hale considered, that may be all the time he needed to convince Jolene Morrow that there was indeed life after the outlaw.

* * *

While Jolene was smiling as David approached her at the counter, another part of her was slightly panicked.

_Shit, shit, shit!_ _The last time I saw this man, we were both naked!_

Jolene had a lot of mixed feelings about David Hale. She was grateful to him for the part he played in saving her life and he had been there for her during a time of great hurt after learning about Jax and Wendy, but sleeping with him had been a huge mistake. Although, at the time, Jolene had needed the comfort that he had provided, she quickly realized that she was in over her head. While Jolene had never been with anyone other than Jax, she thought she had witnessed enough growing up in an MC to be able to tell the difference between a man who was in it only for a good time and a man who wanted more from his partner, like an emotional attachment. She had totally misread David as the hit-it-and-quit-it type and soon realized that friends-with-benefits wasn't what Hale had in mind. What he wanted was more than she was willing to give. He wanted her heart, but she had left that behind in Charming with the only man she would ever love.

Now that she was back in Charming and working things out with Jax, she had to make it crystal clear that she would forever belong to only one man.

"Hi, David." Jolene smiled as she held out her hand.

Hale was drinking her in, already trying to determine where her head was at. Taking her hand, he was tempted to pull her in for a kiss, but recalled that even as he made love to her, Jolene had insisted on no kissing.

Smiling like a mental patient, Hale took her dainty hand in his massive one and squeezed. "Wow." He whispered almost reverently and immediately felt like an idiot. They both chuckled as Jolene felt a slight blush stain her cheeks. Although she had no feelings other than friendship for David, she couldn't help but be flattered by the obvious affection he had for her. He was a good man and any woman would be lucky to have him in her life and she felt a twinge of guilt that he was wasting these feelings on her.

Hale shook his head and smiled self-consciously. "At the risk of stating the obvious, you look amazing, Jolene."

"Thank you. You look exceptionally well yourself," Jolene said genuinely. "Tan and fit as always, I see."

"Just got back from vacation less than 24 hours ago. I had no idea you were in town." _If I had, I would have come looking for you._

Jolene nodded sadly. "I came back for Luann's funeral."

"I should have known you would." Hale replied and he wasn't lying. Even though she had seemed well-adjusted and happy in Seattle, Hale had the feeling that had Teller not married the junkie from Reno, Jolene had been on the verge of pulling up stakes and coming back home to Charming. She had told him how much she had been missing her extended SAMCRO family. News of Luann Delaney's tragic death must have been a shock to the system. He should have known that she would have wanted to be here for her family. "So are you heading back to Seattle soon?"

Jolene looked at him with wide, luminous eyes as she shook her head. "No. I'm actually here to stay."

Hale smiled. That was the best news he's heard all week, but she looked on the verge of saying something that kind of took the edge off his joy. Before she could continue, Hale heard a small voice coming from the vicinity of the ground.

"Who's that, Mommy?" Looking down, Hale saw a small child, perhaps three years old, clinging to Jolene's leg.

Hale looked at the blond-haired, green-eyed child. His eyes widening in shock, his head snapped up to meet Jolene's eyes. Reading the knowledge that lay in them, Hale's heart literally sunk in his chest.

Jolene stooped down to pick her son up and placed him on her hip. "Abel, honey," Jolene said, "This is an old friend of mine, Deputy Chief David Hale. David, this is my son, Abel Teller."

_Goddamnit!_

Pulling together a smile on his face even though his heart was breaking, Hale looked at the child. "It's nice to meet you, Abel." Hale lied.

"Are you a policeman?" Abel inquired, his head cocked to one side.

"That's right. Maybe one day you can come and see the station house." _You might as well. If you grow up anything like you're father, it's going to be your second home_ , Hale thought snidely _._

Abel nodded, but as Hale wasn't a female deputy, he had already lost interest. "I wanna go see Grandma. Let's go, Mommy." Abel demanded.

"I bet your parents must be over the moon, coming back home and with a grandson no less."

"Yes, they are."

"You never mentioned you had a son when we last met." He nodded at Abel, obliquely referring to their one and only night together.

"No, we never got around to that, did we?." Jolene replied. "Would you walk with me to my car?"

Hale nodded and escorted her and Abel out of the diner to her new Mustang.

"Nice ride." Hale said admiringly.

"Yeah, it was a welcome home gift from Dad." Jolene worked quickly to secure Abel in his car seat, which was in the middle of the back seat. Giving Abel one of his toy cars to play with, Jolene closed the passenger door and turned to face Hale, who she noticed had been admiring the view of her bent over backside.

"David," She started, but Hale interrupted her.

"You don't have to say anything. Four years on the police force has given me the ability to see where this conversation is headed." _Which was nowhere fast._

"I never stopped loving Jax, David. Hearing that he had married someone else tore me up. I was so consumed by my own pain that I didn't realize at the time what your feelings for me were." Jolene placed her hand on David's arm. "I never meant to hurt—"

"And you didn't." Hale replied gruffly. He wanted to resist even mentioning Jax out of fear of sounding like a jealous loser, but he couldn't hold back his anger and resentment. "For what it's worth, I think you're making a big mistake if the plan is to reconcile with Abel's father. A woman with your brains and your beauty truly deserves someone better than Jax Teller, Jolene, but I care enough about you to genuinely hope that it works out for you."

As Hale walked back towards the diner, he kicked himself for leaving one thought unsaid.

_I will always be here if you need me._


	5. She Works Hard for the Money

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

Jolene's homecoming celebration was jumping.

As usual, SAMCRO certainly knew how to throw a party. The loud music pulsated in the lot, along with the smell of the roaring barbecue pit. Loud laughter filled the air as the party raged on.

And in the middle of it was the guest of honor.

Jolene Morrow, who was holding court as the center of attraction, was wearing a pair of skinny jeans, a flared, off the shoulder red blouse, and her favorite Fendi booties given to her by Luann. Leaning against the brand new cobalt blue Mustang her parents had given her as a welcome home present, Jolene was starting to rethink her choice of wardrobe for the evening.

Thinking that maybe she should have toned down her outfit a bit, Jolene politely peeled off another roving arm from around her shoulder. Jax and Jolene had decided not to advertise that they were back together while he was in Chino because his divorce was not yet final. _But I sure wish I could yell it from the rooftops_ , Jolene thought wryly, missing her "Property of" vest Jax had given her years ago and which she had left behind when she left making it known would keep some of these visiting apes off of her, but even that was unlikely. With the "prison clause" in effect, Jolene would still be a target until Jax got his ass home.

The party had been going on for hours and Jolene realized, as her stomach angrily growled at her that she hadn't put anything in it for a while. Smiling politely, Jolene excused herself and headed into the Clubhouse, hoping for something to eat other than the charred and smoky meat that had been grilling all night.

Entering the Main Room of the Clubhouse, Jolene called out to Bobby, "Hey, Uncle Elvis. You been cooking for me?" She asked excitedly as she sniffed the air.

"You know it, Kit. Blazin' hot chili and jalapeno corn bread." Bobby called out from across the room, his arms draped around two scantily clad croweaters, one on each side. He was holding a beer in one hand and a joint in the other and Jolene rejoiced. He did some of his best cooking when he was stoned and ten sheets to the wind.

Jolene dramatically put her hand over her heart. "Goddamn, if you weren't my godfather, I'd marry you."

"Yeah, just what he needs," Piney piped in. "Another crazy future ex-wife."

"Ah, you're just mad 'cause I out drank you last night, old man," Jolene playfully punched Piney on the shoulder. "And save me some of that tequila, will ya?" She said, kissing the side of his face on her way to the kitchen and the pot of chili, with Gemma hot on her heels.

Gemma propped herself against a counter and watched while Jolene searched for a bowl. Unable to find one, Jolene contemplated eating right out of the pot, but then decided it might be better to just wash one.

"Ewww, when was the last time anyone cleaned up in here?" She made a mental note to pick up some industrial-strength cleaning products. She and the Prospect were gonna have a busy week come Monday morning tidying up the Clubhouse.

"Who knows?" Gemma replied. She sat down on a stool and crossed her legs as she watched Jolene load her spoon with chili and cornbread before shoving it into her mouth.

"Excuse me," Jolene said around a mouthful of food. Finally swallowing, she smiled. "I know you taught me better table manners, but I'm starving and this is _sooo_ good." She practically moaned.

"Given a choice, sex or Bobby's chili?" Gemma teased.

"That's so not fair 'cause I've gone without both for so long." Jolene replied cheekily. "But with my old man in lock-up, I'd have to go with the chili."

"Any plans to see Jax this weekend?" Gemma asked and Jolene nodded as she swallowed another bite of chili.

"The plan is to see Jax every weekend." Jolene advised. "I spoke to him earlier, he called before the party. Wishes he could be here tonight. I told him he wasn't missing out on nothing and that his welcome home party was gonna be way wilder."

"Which one? The one here at the Clubhouse or your bedroom?" Gemma snarked. Jolene beamed her a smile that could be seen from outer space to go along with an exaggerated wink and a thumb's up. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"He called to tell me that, apparently, he's been a very good boy lately because his visiting hours are no longer restricted. He can now have visitors between 12:30 and 7:30 with no time limit. I'm gonna go see him tomorrow." Jolene said. Finished scarfing down the chili, she took her now-empty bowl to the sink.

"Mind if I tag along?" Gemma asked.

"Oh yeah, I do mind." Jolene turned to face Gemma, crossing her arms over her chest. Gemma quirked an eyebrow at her, not sure if Jolene was kidding or not. As if reading her mind, Jolene said, "I am so not kidding, Gemma. I need my one-on-one alone time with Jax."

"What about Abel?" Gemma asked.

"I'm taking him on Sunday. Jax's C.O. arranged for them to spend time together again in one of those playroom cabins on the outside." Jolene explained.

Gemma put her hand on her hip and cocked her head at Jolene. "I would love the opportunity to see my son and grandson together at some point, preferably sooner rather than later, you know."

"I know," Jolene nodded. "And I'm glad you brought it up because I have a surprise for Jax and I need you on board before I can tell him tomorrow."

"What kind of surprise?" Gemma asked suspiciously, not at all happy that Jolene was planning surprises for her incarcerated son and keeping her out of the loop.

"I spoke with Ally Lowen, Scott Rosen's partner on Monday and I asked her to look into getting Jax a 'family visit'." Jolene started.

"What's the difference between that and regular visits?"

Jolene felt herself get weepy, but forced herself to think of Jax and Abel's happiness and what was best for them as father and son. "Depending on their behavior, inmates with families are entitled to extended overnight stays in one of the cabins outside the prison. It's usually spouses and children, but close blood relatives are also allowed, like parents and siblings." Jolene started explaining and she could already see the joy lighting up Gemma's eyes.

"That's wonderful!" Gemma exclaimed. "You mean Jax is going to get to spend a night with his son?"

Jolene nodded. Gemma jumped up from her seat and wrapped her arms around Jolene in a nearly suffocating embrace. "Lowen was able to get him a 48-hour furlough for next weekend." Jolene continued when Gemma finally let her go.

"Holy shit, that's fantastic! He's gonna shit himself." Gemma laughed happily. "You must be excited, huh? Getting to spend time with your old man and baby alone, for the first time."

Jolene shook her head. "I can't go."

"What? Why not?"

"Spouses or blood relatives only, Gemma. I'm neither." Jolene explained and watched as Gemma finally put two and two together.

"Oh, I'm sorry, baby." Gemma pulled her into her arms again, only this time she didn't try to squeeze the life out of her as she ran her hand over the hair that fell down Jolene's back.

"I'm okay with it, really." Jolene smiled as she pulled away and she wasn't lying. It made her sad that to the world she was nothing to Jax Teller, but she knew that wasn't the case to the one and only person that mattered. A piece of paper may legitimize what they were to each other, but the lack of one didn't minimize what they had. "This is where you come in, Gem. As Jax's mom, you fit the criteria. I need you to spend next weekend with Jax and Abel in Chino. I'll cover for you here at the garage."

Gemma could see the sadness in Jolene's eyes and felt a sudden rush of remorse. The love Jolene had for Jax and their son was plainly written on her face, but it was her working to get Jax an overnight visit with his family that spoke louder than words. Jolene still loved her son and, if anything, finally bringing Abel home was almost a guarantee that she would never leave again. She wouldn't introduce Abel to his family only to yank him away later. Jolene wasn't built like that. Having been raised almost like a feral child for the first six years of her life, Jolene knew what it was like to have no family.

Wiping errant tears from her eyes, Gemma felt like a conniving, back-stabbing bitch for even thinking to suggest to her son that they should fight Jolene for custody of Abel. Clay was right to accuse her of thinking that Jax could do no wrong. After all this time, Gemma was finally letting herself see that had Jax just come home after dealing with the Kyle Hobart situation, Jolene never would have left and her grandson would have been born in Charming.

"I'd love to take Abel. I'm just sad it can't be you, sweetheart." Gemma said genuinely.

"Me, too." Jolene angrily swatted away the tears that fell on her cheeks, the thought that Wendy had rights that she was being denied pissing her off. "But, hey, at least I get to spend the rest of my life with him." She said confidently, which made Gemma smile. Seeing the determination in Jolene's eyes and remembering the same look on her son's face during their last visit made Gemma realize that these two were never letting each other go ever again.

Pulling herself together, Jolene smiled to herself. She couldn't wait to tell both her men and see the look on their faces.

With her OCD kicking in, Jolene decided she couldn't wait until Monday to tackle the mess in the kitchen and started doing the dishes in the sink.

"You should be out there, enjoying your party," Gemma started as she searched for a clean dish rag and a bottle of 409. "Not cleaning the kitchen."

"I will. I just needed a break from the pack of wolves on the hunt tonight." Jolene replied.

"Oh, yeah." Gemma said, turning to Jolene. "You sure it's a good idea keeping you and Jax under wraps? With his brothers knowing your old man like they do, public knowledge would probably protect you from those trying to exercise the prison clause."

"Nah, I have SAMCRO looking out for me." Jolene responded. Comfortable with the fact that those that sat at the table with Jax would protect her from unwanted attention, Jolene's main concern was keeping Wendy out of the loop. Deciding to finally broach the subject she had been avoiding since the ass whooping she had dished out the day of Abel's arrival, Jolene turned to Gemma, who was busy scrubbing down counters. "So I see the crank ho is not here tonight."

"Yeah, I think she decided that she wasn't in a welcoming mood." Gemma said snarkily.

"Would someone like to explain to me just how she ended up staying here for so long?"

Gemma turned to Jolene, her hand on her cocked hip. "After what happened the day Wendy showed up in Charming, a switch flipped in Jax. I had never seen such anger and hatred just rolling off of him in waves like that before. _Never_. He didn't care who he hurt or why, especially Wendy. As a matter of fact, he saved all of his worst for her. He treated her like the piece of shit we all know she is and went the extra mile to humiliate her any chance he could, but even then I don't think she knew the difference. She followed him around like a puppy that's been kicked around too much. Still, he felt no remorse whatsoever in using her. Jax felt nothing for her. She was just a means to an end and proved useful in keeping most of the croweaters off of his ass. Wendy became a bad habit, pussy he didn't have to think about." Gemma explained.

At the horrified look on Jolene's face, Gemma put down her cleaning supplies and led Jolene out to the bar. She looked like she could use a drink. Signaling Half-Sack for two beers, Gemma slid onto a stool next to Jolene and continued. "Obviously, you've never had the displeasure of meeting the mean and angry drunk that took over my son's body. He was horrible. I have to say, though, that fake pregnancy probably saved his liver. Jax sobered up real quick after being coerced into marrying that bitch. Quit drinking cold turkey, but the unfortunate by-product of his sobriety was guilt. Guilt as far as you were concerned, but since he couldn't find you to make things right, he redirected his efforts on trying to get Wendy on the straight and narrow. That is, until she 'lost the baby'." Gemma raised both hands and did air quotes for emphasis. "When she fell off the wagon after going through rehab for the second time, Jax gave up on trying to fix her, started straying, not that he ever really stopped after he got married. She would come crying to me, like I would give a shit. I was just glad he was finally waking up, although I must say, her replacement wasn't that much better."

"Really?" Jolene asked in disgust, even though she was getting a perverse kind of pleasure knowing that Wendy had been force-fed a dose of her own medicine. "So aside from Wendy, what other whores should I be on the lookout for?"

"Sweetheart," Gemma looked Jolene up and down. "You have nothing to worry about. If your body is indeed a wonderland, I can guarantee, Jax will never leave the Rez again." Gemma replied.

"I'm not worried." Jolene replied confidently. "I'm just wondering if I have to cut a bitch in order to re-establish my place at the front of the line." She smiled, not entirely joking.

Gemma laughed. _Yeah, Jolene was exactly what Jax needed._ "Baby girl, look around. Any one of these crow-eating whores would sell their mother to a donkey show in order to be with the Club's VP. Most go unnoticed, except for that little skank across the room," She said, coyly indicating the group of half-dressed women sitting on or draped around the couch.

"Let me guess," Jolene started, leaning in closer to Gemma. "The skinny blond with the cheap highlights and the bandanna for a skirt."

"You're good, sweetheart." Gemma smiled while nodding her head, thoroughly impressed. "I see you haven't lost your instincts while hibernating in Seattle all this time."

Jolene shrugged. It was easy. All the girls across the room, with the exception of one, looked like they were there to have a good time. She had noticed the blond fingering Jax's mug shot before and Jolene could practically smell the desperation wafting off the cheap trick from clear across the room.

"What's her story?" Jolene asked, now intrigued by the thought that Jax suddenly had a taste for the underdeveloped.

"That's Ima. She's one of Luann's girls." Gemma started.

"Cara Cara?" Jolene was dumbfounded. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Gemma managed to shake her head while taking a swig from her bottle of beer. "She was a thorn in Wendy's side for months before Jax landed in Chino. Little Miss Cum Guzzler saw an opportunity and went for it."

"And she's still breathing?" Jolene asked. She watched the little whore with half-hooded eyes. It's been a while since she last had to kick some bitch's dumb ass over a man, that man being Jax, of course. The only man she had ever go medieval for. It had been worth the effort then and it sure as hell was worth the effort now. "Okay, wait. As much as I hate the crank whore, porn pussy cracks my top five of most despised. Please tell me she at least put the bitch in her place." She asked, not understanding why this Ima girl was even allowed to set foot in the Clubhouse.

Gemma shook her head. "Wendy's little meth habit got in the way. She was way too concerned with getting high to realize that the little bitch was playing hard ball. When it comes to dirty tricks, porn pussy trumps stripper every time and I hear this one can suck the chrome off a tail pipe." Gemma replied sardonically.

Jolene turned to Gemma. "Shit, I was Jax Teller's old lady for a long time. I know me some dirty tricks." She gave Gemma a cheeky grin. "May not be my place _yet_ and I may be stepping on some old lady toes, but I think Miss Ima and I will be getting acquainted real soon. Jolene sneered. _Especially when I start at Cara Cara_.

"Oh, baby girl, I'm counting on it." Gemma playfully pinched her cheek.

* * *

The morning after a party at the Clubhouse was never fun.

Bobby rolled out of his bed slowly and sat up holding his head in his hands. As he put both feet on the ground and made a move to get up, he heard a low moan. Looking over his shoulder at the croweater currently residing on the other side of the bed, he slapped her on the ass. "Come on honey, time to go."

Heaving himself up from the bed, Bobby headed towards the shower. _I got to get moving. Kit will be here soon._

As the hot water poured over him, Bobby thought about all of the drama surrounding Jolene's return. Having her back home where she belonged was wonderful. Her presence in their lives had been missing for too long. Things had been off kilter since she had left Charming. Having her back in the fold was like having a missing piece of a puzzle finally put into its proper place. There was something about Jolene's personality that made people miss her the moment she left a room.

Bobby Munson had fallen head over heels in love with a child for the first time in his life when he and Clay brought the tiny and sickly, big-eyed child with a mop of wild and untamed black curls home to Charming. In fact, in some ways Bobby loved her more than he did his own children. Maybe it was because he only had boys, but he liked to think that it was her need to be loved and cared for that had endeared her to him, which was not something he had really felt from his own sons.

That was why it was so devastating when Jolene had left Charming, without a word to anybody. _Even me._ Bobby had to admit that it had hurt like hell, simply because he always felt that they had a special relationship. But Kit was in a bad place emotionally and part of him realized that no matter how much love he and Clay and all of Jolene's family had tried to instill in her, the six years she spent suffering with her POS mother Valentina had left their mark of low self-esteem and insecurity.

Those feelings, combined with trying to heal from the events of the shooting, having to deal with the betrayal, first by Kyle Hobart, a member of the Club who had been the only family she had ever known and then by her old man, put Jolene in a very bad place mentally. That horrible day in the T-M lot when that Reno road pussy strolled in with tales of her two weeks of passion with Jax had been the straw that had broken the camel's back. Jolene took off and at that point Bobby couldn't say that he blamed her for it.

But now after nearly four years away from her family, she was back and with a beautiful son. Bobby wanted to make sure he knew where Kit's head was at, what her plans for the future were with Jax, especially considering the outcome of the vote during Church last night, which was why he had asked her to come over this morning before heading out to see Jax.

Bobby hurriedly got out of the shower.

_Gotta get crackin' on those blueberry muffins._

* * *

Pulling into the T-M lot, it seemed to be more of a ghost town than a thriving garage on a Saturday morning. Except for spotting a couple of mechanics, the lot was as quiet as a graveyard, which could only mean one thing. _The party really must have jumped off in here after I left._

Her father had been right. Last night's official welcome home party had been the party to end all parties, but as much as Jolene loved her SAMCRO family, it had been a little much, even for her. She had preferred the family homecoming that Gemma and Clay had thrown for her and Abel at the house, one of Gemma's old-fashioned Sunday dinners with those that she was closest to the most in attendance, with the exception of her old man and Ope.

As Jolene stepped out of the car, she spotted Bobby heading out of the Clubhouse with a large plate and a thermos of what could only be coffee.

"God, Uncle Elvis. I think I could smell those blueberry muffins all the way from the house." As she tried to reach for one, Bobby pulled the plate out of her reach.

"Nuh uh." Nodding over to the office, Bobby said, "Go wash your hands first, then meet me at the picnic table."

Remembering how he always was after her as a child about washing her hands, Jolene smiled. "But the bathroom in the Clubhouse is closer—"

"Kit, you don't want to go in there. Trust." Bobby advised.

Shaking her head, Jolene ran to the office bathroom and quickly reappeared at the picnic table. Snatching up one of the muffins still warm from the oven, Jolene sank her teeth into it.

"I swear, Uncle Elvis, I used to have dreams about these while I was away."

Bobby poured some of the rich, black coffee into one of the mugs he had brought from the Clubhouse kitchen and handed it to Jolene. Pouring some for himself, he replied, "All you had to do was come home, Kit. I would have made you all the muffins you wanted."

Jolene sighed softly. She had known this was coming. Although she had been home now for several weeks, this conversation between her and her favorite uncle was long overdue. "I know. I just couldn't."

Putting a hand on top of hers, Bobby looked into her sad seafoam green eyes. "I know. I guess, on some levels, I understand that, but ultimately, running away from ones problems never gets them solved. It may have taken you four years to finally see that, but better four years than never. Welcome home, Kit." He reached over and dropped a kiss on her temple, his shaggy beard tickling her face.

Jolene looked at her uncle and saw the love and forgiveness in his eyes. "Thanks, Uncle Elvis. It's so good to be home."

"For good?" Bobby queried.

"For good." Jolene confirmed. "And with Jax."

Bobby rested his hands over his ample belly. "Shit, that goes without saying. He was a fucking mess without you, Kit. Gemma tells me he's like a new man again and how much Abel already loves his daddy."

"Yeah, I can't wait for him to come home. Five months is a long time."

"Well, at least you'll have something to keep you busy." Jolene looked at her uncle quizzically. "That's why I wanted you to come by today. The Club voted on Otto's offer to bring in the MC as partners in Cara Cara and to put you in charge of running the show. It was unanimous on both counts. You are officially a purveyor of porn, that is, until we can get someone permanent on board."

"That's great!" Jolene flashed him a 1,000-watt smile. "I'm getting paid, right?"

"Per Otto's recommendation, you'll be getting a six-figure salary, plus one point of the profits from distribution and one point from website subscriptions." Bobby explained as Jolene's wide eyes grew even wider. "I had no idea how much scratch that actually was until I looked at the books. Big Otto really set you up nice, Kit."

Jolene beamed, happy that she had more good news to share with Jax. She could tell he was worried about her and Abel's financial well-being, especially since he was unable to earn while in Chino. Jolene also made a mental note to drop in on Otto and thank him in person for his generosity.

"Can I assume by the fact that my dad's bike was parked outside the house this morning that he survived the vote?"

"Just barely, Kit. He only went slightly postal, but calmed down once I explained the situation to him. Believe me, even if he wasn't happy with it at all, Clay would have caved as long as it meant that you wouldn't leave Charming."

"He doesn't have to worry about that. This is Abel's home now. We're not going anywhere."

"Good. Keep saying that cuz I like the sound of it." Bobby smiled. "Clay was gonna call Rosen today to set the wheels in motion. Rosen needs to meet with Big Otto to put you on the payroll, set you up with Power of Attorney, as well as some other legal bullshit making SAMCRO a legitimate partner in the studio. That's going to take a couple of weeks. Think you'll be ready to start wrangling porn pussy by the end of the month?"

"When you put it like that, I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Jolene replied as she lavishly buttered her blueberry muffin.

"Don't sweat it, Kit. Your top priority at the studio will be making sure shit gets done and I can't think of anyone more capable. I must say, though, out of all the scenarios possible, I never thought we'd be working side-by-side in a porn studio." Bobby grinned.

"What, this isn't a dream come true for you?" She joked.

"Hell's yeah it is! Well, at least the part about _me_ working at the studio is. I'd rather see you teaching, but hey, when life hands you lemons, you throw 'em back and drink a fuckin' beer." Bobby replied as Jolene chuckled. "There was a little rumbling at the table about me landing this cush assignment. Tig's royally pissed, but shit, I deserve it. Almost nine months as AVP to your father is more than enough for any one man. I still have five more months to go before I'm put out of my misery." Bobby needed a break in the worst way and being locked up with a bunch of porn stars day in and day out, albeit while getting Cara Cara's books in order, was going to be bliss.

Bobby picked up the thermos of coffee and refreshed both of their cups. "It's definitely my dream job, but what about you? I know you and Luann were close, but Cara Cara was never really your scene, Kit. I'm finding it a little hard to swallow that Jax is okay with you working there, with every other man's junk in your face except his."

"While I don't think anyone's junk in my face is part of my job description, I can tell you that Jax wasn't exactly jumping for joy, but he gets it." Jolene replied. "He understands how important it is for me to work."

Bobby nodded his head soberly. Jax was one of a small handful of bikers he knew who were accommodating about their old ladies working outside the home and he was grateful for it. Of all of her surrogate fathers, it was Bobby who understood the most how important becoming a teacher had been to Jolene. Even though Clay was as proud as a father could be of his college-graduate daughter, Bobby knew that he really didn't get just how important it was for Kit to have something outside the Club.

Now with a stain on her employment record making the likelihood of finding another teaching position almost impossible, Bobby knew that Jolene's A-type personality would never allow her to just sit on her ass at home and do nothing. She would search until she found her own little niche. Bobby just hoped that it wouldn't end up being porn forever and that she would find something else more suited to her warm and giving personality.

The reality was that living the Life didn't afford many opportunities for old ladies to move up in the world. Mostly controlled by circumstances not of their own making, they simply caved into the mentality of the MC world, that it was the men who went out and earned for their families and the women and children who were dependent on them.

There were a few exceptions within SAMCRO, such as Gemma, who was nobody's little woman and who had interests outside the Club like her charity projects and Donna Winston, who had carved out a life for herself at Oswald Construction. But of all three women, Jolene was the most determined to be more than just an old lady with a part-time job. She loved her old man, but she also had the need to be more and do more. Bobby had seen it in her during her college years and the person before him now was a stronger and extremely capable young woman.

_Jax has a whole lot of woman on his hands. I sure hope he can handle it._

* * *

It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning. Instead of primping for her weekly one-on-one visit with Jax, Jolene was sitting in the office at T-M covering for Gemma. She had just returned to Charming after driving Abel and his grandma to Chino for their weekend visit with Jax. Jolene was staring at the wall with unseeing eyes, remembering her brief exchange with Jax in the VC before handing off their son. Jax had wrapped her in a bear hug, squeezing her tight against his hard body as he whispered into her hair. He wished it was possible for her to stay instead of Gemma and, for the hundredth time, apologized for fucking everything up so thoroughly that she couldn't. Jolene had smiled, even though she wanted to cry, and reassured her old man that this weekend was about him and Abel, father and son bonding time. They would have their time together as a family, and as a man and his woman, soon enough. His kiss goodbye was still burning on her lips as she could recall feeling all of his longing and frustration behind it. It had been a bruising kiss, meant to leave an impression and it had. She couldn't wait to see him again, if only briefly, when she went to pick up their son.

Jolene had just checked her watch for the umpteenth time, wondering what they were doing now, without her, as Half-Sack stood at the office door trying to get her attention.

Shaking herself free from the spell Jax had managed to weave over her all the way from Chino, Jolene smiled, slightly embarrassed, at the Prospect. "I'm sorry, Kip. I wasn't listening. What did you say?"

"Donna Winston's here. She said you two have an appointment to get to ASAP." Half-Sack advised.

"Oh, shit! I forgot." Jolene jumped up from her chair and grabbed her purse and leather jacket. "If you're not too busy, can you please cover for me 'til I get back? I shouldn't be gone for more than an hour."

"Sure. I can do that." He practically beamed at Jolene as she squeezed his hand on the way out of the office.

"Thanks, Kip." She called out as she trotted over to Donna's car. Throwing herself into the passenger seat, Donna took off before Jolene had even closed the car door.

"I'm sorry if I'm a little rushed, but I have to pick Kenny up from soccer practice at noon." Donna advised as she maneuvered her dark red Honda Pilot towards Main Street.

"No problem. I'm actually in a rush to get back to the garage myself and, if this place is anything like what I've seen this past week, I'm sure it won't take very long at all." Jolene advised.

"Bad?" Donna asked.

"Bad is too nice a way to describe the shitholes my real estate agent has been dragging me to all over town."

"Well, I'm gonna go out on a limb and guarantee that your search ends today, Jo. You're gonna love this place." Donna assured her.

Jolene quirked an eyebrow at her. Donna, of all people, knew how picky she was about certain things. "That's a pretty bold statement. How did you find out about this place? My agent claims she has been showing me the best available." Jolene queried.

"Insider information." Donna replied cheekily. At Jolene's narrowed gaze, she laughed. "Nothing too crazy. My job with Oswald puts me in contact with a lot of movers and shakers from here to Stockton. People know me and know who I work for and they're inclined to help me out now and then when I need it."

Turning the corner, Donna drove her car down a small tree-lined street. "Since you've been gone, there has been a moderate amount of rebuilding and renovating going on in this area of Charming, not a lot, and not all done through Jacob Hale's development corporation either, but some. This property is part of a couple of streets of semi-attached townhouses built in the late 80s. You remember them, right?"

"I think I do. They were pretty old and dilapidated, even before I left town. You're taking me there?" Jolene wrinkled her nose.

"Hold on to your thong." Donna rolled her eyes. "I said there's been some renovations going on, didn't I? Oswald Construction did the work, but it was a project financed by a development corporation out of Stockton. Elliott was really surprised at how well constructed the actual buildings were. All they really needed was a face lift and modernizing on the inside. The finished products are pretty nice and I heard from a source that the owner of the one I'm showing you is relocating, but doesn't want to sell the house just yet. He's looking to rent it for a year, fully furnished. I immediately thought of you. If you like it, it's yours with one condition."

"What's that?" Jolene eyed her suspiciously.

"You don't tell Gemma that I was the one that got you the hook up. I'd like to keep living so I can be reunited with my husband."

"Scout's honor. I won't tell a soul."

"Uh, you weren't a scout, honey." Donna mocked playfully.

"Oh, you know what I mean. Just drive me to the house already."

Donna turned the corner and Jolene saw a row of semi-attached houses lining the street. The beige sandstone buildings had dark blue tiled roofs with walkways leading to the front door made of the same material. Pulling into the small driveway, Donna parked the car in front of the white garage door. "Okay, this is it. What do you think so far?"

Jolene got out of the car. The house, the last one in the row, as well as the whole neighborhood looked tidy and quaint, but Jolene wasn't too impressed with the cookie cutter aspect. In spite of being a two-level, it looked small and compact. "It's not as beautiful as my house," Jolene pouted, thinking of the lovely terracotta-tiled house that Jax had bought for her almost seven years ago. "But it's nice, homey-looking. I think Abel would like it."

"Well, let's go in and check it out." Donna dangled the keys in front of Jolene.

Walking into the small foyer, Jolene noted the small dining room on her left, with the larger living room on her right. Facing forward was a short flight of stairs leading towards the bedrooms, while a hallway ran alongside the stairway that led to the kitchen, laundry room, family room, and patio door to the small backyard, which was enclosed by a high neat hedge.

"Okay," Jolene nodded, crossing her arms under her chest as she looked around. "I'm starting to feel a little better. Bigger than I thought it would be."

"A-ha! You haven't seen the best part yet." Donna wriggled her eyebrows. "The master bedroom."

Grabbing Jolene's hand, the two women giggled like the girls of their youth as they ran up the narrow stairs to the three bedrooms on the second floor. "The houses in this development are exact duplicates on the outside, but each renovation was done to owner specifications and the owner of this one had deep pockets. Elliott is most proud of the work done in this space. It's modern, but functional without being stark and impersonal. The master bedroom takes up the entire right side of the second floor." Donna threw open the thick, dark wood door leading into the bedroom.

The first thing Jolene saw was the massive four poster canopy bed sitting in the large open space directly underneath the skylight. It was kind of hard to miss the ginormous solid wood bed with black leather inlaid into the headboard and footboard as it was obviously meant to be the jewel of the room. "Holy shit!" Jolene gasped. "That is one awesome playground. Jax and I could go to town on that."

"Hey, just remember this is a rental. Don't break the man's bed." Donna quipped.

"I might as well forfeit the deposit now 'cause I can't make any promises." Jolene cocked her head knowingly. Shoving Donna so that she fell onto the downy, luxurious bed, Jolene dropped down right beside her. "Abel is going to love this, too."

"Abel?" Donna rolled over to face Jolene. "Oh, don't tell me he's a momma's boy."

"He is not!" Jolene denied. "But sometimes he needs to sleep with his mommy, that's all."

"Uh huh. I wonder how Jax is going to take that. Looks like Abel may be a little cock-blocker in the making." Donna cracked.

Taking one of the pillows, Jolene smacked her best friend forever in the head. "Show me the rest of the house, bitch."

"Well, check this out." Donna jumped off the plush bed and crossed the spacious room, her feet soundless on the deep pile tan carpet, and threw open the double doors leading into the bathroom.

Jolene's jaw dropped. "Hot damn!" The large walk-in marble tub stood at attention in the center of the room. With glistening double sinks and a separate room containing the toilet, a large shower with three shower heads, and a huge walk-in linen closet, the room was the bathroom of all bathrooms. "I may never leave!"

"I know. I'm so jealous right now. I heard that the owner paid the earth for it, but whatever he paid was well worth it. Can you imagine what a homecoming you can give Jax in this place?"

"Oh my God, you'll never see us again, so don't come lookin'." Jolene walked around and caressed the beautiful fixtures and marble tile.

"So, should I tell my contact that you'll take it, or maybe you would prefer a small apartment, above some shitty storefront somewhere else—"

"Oh, hell's no!" Jolene whirled around. "I don't need to see anything else. Wrap it up." Smiling, she wrapped her arms around Donna. "This is our new home!"

* * *

Never in a million years would Gemma have thought to find herself spending the weekend in Chino, a men's prison, willingly. But here she was, in the backyard of the cabin she was sharing with two generations of Teller men, a sight she never thought she would live to behold. Gemma was sitting in one of the lounge chairs watching as her son bonded with his own son over what at first appeared to be a friendly game of tug-o-war.

 _Abel really thinks he can do it_ , Gemma marveled to herself.

Gemma tried her best to hold steady the small camcorder that Juice had gotten for her, but found it almost impossible to because she couldn't stop laughing and shouting encouragement to her grandson.

Jax did his best to hold onto the rope with less than his full strength to let Abel, who was on the other end of the rope, think that he had a fighting chance of winning against his daddy. And Abel was giving it all he had. Abel's cheeks were bright red with exertion as his little arms did their best to tug on the rope and unseat his father, who was kneeling on the ground to give Abel more of an advantage.

"Don't give up, Abel. You got him now!" Gemma cheered.

"I won't Grandma!"

"Hey, I thought that I was your favorite son!" Jax shouted.

"Not any more. You've been replaced by a younger model." Gemma snarked.

Jax was so caught up in his verbal sparring match with his mother that he momentarily loosened his kneeling stance on the grass. Suddenly, Abel gave a yank with all of his might and, before he knew what was happening, Jackson Teller found himself sprawled face first on the grass.

Abel dropped his end of the rope and threw his hands up in the air like a boxer. "I got you!" He screamed. "I got you, Daddy! I got you good!"

Looking up from is near fetal position on the ground, Jax saw the bright happy smile of his son's face and thought to himself, _this has to be one of the happiest days of my life since coming to Chino._

Quickly launching himself up from his prone position, Jax soft tackled his son to the ground and tickled him mercilessly. Abel's yells became screams of laughter as he tried desperately to talk. "Grandma, help! Daddy's got me!"

Gemma, whose tears of laughter were running down her face, found that she couldn't help her grandson, but tried to keep the film rolling. Gemma was intent on documenting as much of the visit as possible as a surprise for Jolene and had enlisted Juice's more than willing cooperation in buying a camcorder that any electronically-challenged grandmother could work.

It was Sunday afternoon and her boys were trying to make the most of what was left of Jax's 48-hour furlough, which would be over on Monday morning. It had been a wonderful weekend. Abel, having been told about the special weekend visit with his father while on their way to Chino the day before, had been so excited that he had barely managed to get any sleep during their first night together, and it was the same for his father.

Jax had envied Opie on the few times that Donna and the kids had come up for a weekend visit. To think that Jolene had pulled what strings she could to get him a visit with his son had brought tears to his eyes. But his feelings of happiness had dimmed when he found out that Jolene wouldn't be there to share in this special moment. Jax had to live with the fact that it was his stupidity that prevented him having his entire family with him and while Jolene had borne it bravely, he knew that she was heartbroken. The situation only made him more determined to right all of his wrongs when he was released and to give his old lady and himself the joy of being together with their son as a solid family.

After their initial reunion at the VC, Billy took Jax, Gemma, and Abel over to the cabin that would be theirs for the weekend. The two-bedroom cabin was quite cozy. With a kitchen, a family room, and a large backyard, the Teller family was able to spend time together alone and Jax and Abel's bond was strengthened.

On their first night, Gemma, using the several bags of food supplies she had brought with her, made dinner for her two men, making a number of Jax's favorites, all of which were now favorites of her grandson, and which both enjoyed with hearty appetites. After dinner, while Gemma cleaned the kitchen, Jax gave his son a bath for the first time.

Jax couldn't believe how slippery Abel was. Washing him was an adventure and he had a wonderful time exploring his son's body, his little fingers and toes, and washing his silky blond hair. But one of the things that tugged at his heart the most was the scar that Abel had on his chest that was almost an exact duplicate of his grandmother's.

Seeing Jax looking at the scar, Abel made a near identical comment. "See, Daddy. It's just like Grandma's." Seeing his father's sad expression and correctly interpreting it, Abel grabbed his father's hand and put it on top of his chest. "It doesn't hurt anymore, Daddy. Dr. Abel fixed it good this time."

With a catch in his voice, Jax asked, "Dr. Abel?"

Abel nodded as he bent down and handed the wash cloth Jax had dropped into the tub. "Uh huh. Mommy had him fix me 'cause I had a hole in my heart, like Grandma. He's my friend and we got the same name, too." Changing the subject, Abel fussed at his father. "C'mon, Daddy. You finish washing me so you can read me my story."

Swallowing hard, Jax replied with a slight smile, "Sure, Little Man."

After reading Abel his favorite story—three times—the little boy fell asleep in his father's arms. Placing him in the king-size bed that he had been sharing with his father and surrounding him with pillows so he wouldn't fall out of the bed, Jax and Gemma, who had taped the reading, went outside the cabin to relax.

"He's a handful, huh?" Gemma smiled.

"Yeah, but he's perfect."

"Not quite so perfect," Gemma kidded. "After all, I've been around him for a while and let me tell ya, like father, like son."

"You may be right." Jax laughed softly. Rubbing his face, Jax looked at his mother with moist eyes. "He's gone through so much. When I saw that scar—"

"I know, baby," Gemma said consolingly. "I know."

"It hurts knowing that he had to go through all of that. As much as I wish I had been there for my son, I just don't know if I would have been strong enough."

Seeing the pain on her son's face broke Gemma's heart. He was so much like his father that, in spite of being a seasoned patch and SAMCRO's VP, Gemma worried that maybe he was right. Thomas' illness and subsequent death had destroyed JT, a man who had survived Vietnam and two stints in prison.

"I think about what Jo must've gone through . . . I'm in awe of my old lady. She's strong and as shitty as growing up with her mom must have been, I don't know, but it must have prepared her to deal with something like this." Jax explained. "Me, the thought of knocking her up again, having to see her go through this all over again, and having to live it with her, it scares the shit out of me."

"Trust me, sweetheart, you'd be surprised what you're capable of when it comes to those you love." Gemma sighed and reached out to run her fingers through her son's short hair. "Jax, sometimes being a father and a husband means you have to be the one to make the hard choices for your family. There is no doubt in my mind that you are more than capable of doing just that for your family and to give them the strength they need to overcome anything. After all," Gemma smiled. "You had no problems telling me where to get off the last time I jumped bad at you about Jolene."

Jax nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"And you were right." At Jax's shocked, wide eyes, Gemma nodded. "I know. I bet you never expected to hear those words come out of my mouth, huh?"

"Not in this lifetime."

"I was wrong to try to convince you to get custody of Abel. I hated the manner in which things have played out, but I know now that Jolene has Abel's best interest at heart and that she would never run off and take him away from his family. I guess my love for you blinded me to your faults, which are many by the way." Gemma said lightly. "I wanted to put the blame on everything that went wrong solely on Jolene's shoulders and that was unfair because both of you made mistakes and regardless of the outcome, now that you are back together, know that I won't try to get in your way."

Jax reached over to hug his mother. "That really means a lot to me, Mom. I don't want to be at odds with you, but Jolene _is_ my life. She and Abel will always come first, but I will always love you.

* * *

Cara Cara Productions was located about 15 miles outside Charming. The studio was very large, consisting of 20,000 square feet of space dedicated to producing the best in adult entertainment and, during its eleven years in the business, had managed to generate large profits for the principal owners. Cara Cara's new producer was determined that it would continue to operate in the black.

Jolene pulled into Cara Cara's parking lot. Looking for a space, she noticed one close to the entrance. Noting the large black and white sign above the spot marked "Reserved for Producer," Jolene smiled as she prepared to pull into the spot.

Suddenly, a white sports car with license plates declaring the owner a "HOT BITCH" came up from behind and pulled into Jolene's spot. In shock, Jolene stared as a blonde woman, thin to the point of being bony, jumped out of the driver's side.

_Oh, fuck no she didn't!_

Exiting her car and slamming the door, Jolene strode towards the woman, who was blithely pulling out her handbag from the back seat.

"Excuse me, but we have problem." Jolene said.

The woman tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "Yes you do, sweetie. You're too slow and I'm too fast. Deal with it." Finally standing up, the woman got her first up close look at Jolene Morrow. Her shiny midnight curls were pulled away from her face into a cascade that fell nearly to the small of her back and she had the most striking green eyes that were threatening to pierce a hole through Ima's face. Seeing her in the figure-hugging black pencil skirt and slate grey collared boyfriend shirt, Ima almost had to stop herself from doing a double take.

Quickly recovering her composure, Ima put one hand on her bony hip as she threw on her Prada sunglasses with the other. "Oh, you must be the new talent. Well, let's get something straight, honey. I'm Ima, the head Diva-in-charge here, which means _you_ park in the back."

Crossing her arms under what Ima estimated had to be a Double D rack, Jolene smirked as she felt her tongue go numb, a sure sign that she had to contain her shit or she was gonna end up drop-kicking the little hussy across the parking lot like a football.

_Dear God, why are you testing me already on my first day on the job? You're punishing me for working in porn, aren't you?_

"See, now that's where you're wrong, _Ima_." Jolene sauntered and stepped into her personal space. "I'm not the 'new talent'." Nodding over at the sign above the parking space, Jolene put her hand on an arguably curvier cocked hip. "I'm the new Producer, so you have one minute to get your skinny ass out of my face and out of my parking spot before I have your piece of shit car towed at your own expense."

Ima's eyes widened as she mirrored Cara Cara's new boss by crossing her arms under what Jolene estimated was a so-so rack, even with the obvious implants. "So, you're Jolene Morrow." She purred. "Jax Teller's _former_ old lady, right?"

"That's right." _This heifer is trying to test me_. It took everything in Jolene's power not to disabuse Ima of her facts, but that little nugget was being kept under close wraps until Jax came home. "And if you need to know _anything_ else about me it's that I don't ask people to do what I say a second time. I just start swinging."

Shrugging her shoulders as if she didn't give a damn, Ima got back in her car. As she pulled out of the space, Jolene pulled in. Ima watched, with a twinge she refused to acknowledge as jealousy, as Jolene exited her car and confidently strutted to the entrance on mile-high heels. Ima tried to convince herself that she had absolutely nothing to worry about.

_Bitch thinks her shit don't stink because she's Jax's old biker whore, but she's in for a shock of epic proportions once he gets home._

* * *

The days working at Cara Cara seemed to run one right into another, turning from days to weeks in a blink of an eye. While the reality of running a porn studio was actually more interesting than Jolene would have liked to admit, there was still a lot of dull administrative work that had to be done. One of which was payroll.

Sitting across from Bobby at her desk signing payroll checks fresh off the printer, Jolene looked out the open door to her office. The studio's reigning diva, Ima Tite, was finally sashaying her bony ass across the floor in her Kewpie Doll costume and onto the set. With narrow, angry eyes, Jolene watched as the skinny bitch sat in Jolene's on-set producer's chair.

 _Just another one of my things she's hell bent on taking_.

Turning to Bobby, Jolene angrily threw her pen down on the pile of unsigned checks. "Jax must of have been blind drunk, desperate, and miserable to do that ho bag."

Raising an eyebrow at the statement that seemingly came out of nowhere, Bobby looked at Jolene over his gold-rimmed glasses and sighed. Bobby had known that the subject of Ima was going to eventually rear its ugly head, especially after their initial confrontation in the parking lot. Judging from Kit's outburst, now seemed as good a time as any to deal with it. Pushing himself up from his chair, he went to the office door and closed it. Taking off his reading glasses, Bobby sat back down and poured them both a cup of fresh coffee from the carafe on the desk.

"He was, Kit. All of the above." Bobby replied. "But mostly he just didn't give a damn. Sweetheart, Ima wasn't you. None of the women he banged were, so he didn't care what they looked like. He could lose himself in them, but never be really complete. None of them could compare to you. There were days when he and Piney would sit at the bar, getting wasted from morning 'til night, and all Jax did was talk about you. Your brain, your goodness, your hair, your face, your ass that used to call his name."

Jolene rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the blush staining her face. "Really?"

"Really. It was bad." Bobby looked at her and shook his head. "Whenever your dad was in the Clubhouse and heard him, it drove him crazy. I mean, really, what father wants to hear about the beauty of his daughter's tits or the creaminess of her thighs?" Bobby laughed. "And your father wasn't the only one _so_ not happy when Jax went to 'Jolandia'."

"What?" Jolene laughed in disbelief.

"That's what the croweaters and sweetbutts called Jax's state of mind when he was all about you, which was all the damn time. Used to drive them insane when he would get into that mode because they knew he'd have to be good and stinking drunk before he could get it up to do any of them. It killed them to know that when he was finally doing them, he sure has hell wasn't thinking about them either."

Jolene crossed her arms under her chest and huffed, but her Uncle Elvis was not impressed.

"Kit, let's be real. Your old man was a bit of a man-whore. A lovable slut puppy, if you will, but he was also something of a connoisseur. In the past, long before you, he wouldn't just hit _anything_. Even when he was going though that bullshit when Tara left and he was miserable, he wouldn't just dip his junk into any ol' pool. But when you left, it didn't matter what they looked like, who they were. Nobody mattered to him. He didn't matter to himself. That's how the poor bastard ended up tied to Wendy in the first place. I mean really, the last thing anybody ever expected was for him to get involved with some drug-infested whore. That's how low he got. We're talking bottom of the barrel here."

Bobby pointed a finger at Jolene. "Face it, Kit. You ruined Jax for everybody. He was never the same after you left and trust me, you'll never have to worry about him tapping anyone but his old lady ever again. Why go out for a burger when you can get steak at home? He ain't stupid. When I saw him in Chino a couple of weeks ago, the first time since you came back, it was like seeing the old Jax again. He told me that now that you're back, he will do whatever it takes to not mess it up again and he meant it. Jax is a young man and he knows that living the rest of his life without the woman he loves would suck balls." Bobby broke it down. "You've got absolutely nothing to worry about, Kit, especially where Ima's concerned. I'll bet ya he doesn't even remember her name and she's one of Luann's most popular girls. Her shit just flies off the store shelves. Jax has his head squarely on his shoulders and his mind focused on only you and his son. I only wish he'd been his old self three years ago. He may have been able to shake me up a bit, wake me up to the mistakes I was making with my old lady. Maybe if I had wised up, Precious might not have left."

Jolene got up from her seat and sat on the edge of the desk in front of Bobby, taking his callused hand into hers. "Gemma told me about the divorce. I was sorry to hear it. What happened? You told me years ago that the third time was the charm." Jolene said. She had really liked Precious. Although at times she could be a little melodramatic and had a tendency towards violence, mostly directed at her dear Uncle Elvis, Precious was a goodhearted woman who loved her and Bobby's sons.

"It was all my fault." Bobby replied and Jolene looked at him disbelievingly. "Now, Kit. I know you think your Uncle Elvis is this perfect, sexy beast, but I'm not. I make a lot of sense most of the time, for other people, but sometimes I don't know my ass from my face."

Jolene flashed him a look that said she was calling bullshit on what he'd just said, but Bobby shook his head and continued.

"Really, Kit, I wasn't there for my old lady like I should have been. Precious was tired of the Life, tired of being a stay at home mom, so when Tiki started school, she decided to resurrect her old skills as a beautician and started working in a shop in Modesto. I didn't mind at first. It was more money on the table, but after a while, she decided she wanted more out of life and it wasn't me. She got tired of sharing me with the Club, the gigs and the runs that kept me away from home. She'd had enough of dealing with the whole outlaw lifestyle and the fear of my going back in again. She wanted the security and safety of having a man around 24/7 for her and the boys, so when Precious asked for a divorce, I gave it to her. She still lives in town with my kids, but she opened her own salon in Modesto and has been dating some Guido bounty hunter for about a year. I had Juice check him out. He seems legit and he treats my boys well. So now that I'm a free man, I think that's how this old biker is going to stay—free."

As Jolene looked at him concerned, Bobby replied, "Now don't look at me like that. Your Uncle Elvis is just fine. I love my sons, but SAMCRO is my family."

* * *

After several weeks of working at Cara Cara, Jolene had managed to carve out a routine for herself that allowed her to get her job done without being a slave to the studio. Always an early riser, Jolene was in her office no later than 7:30 a.m., with Bobby making an appearance about two hours later, toting a thermos of coffee for Jolene and an occasional treat like muffins or banana bread for breakfast. Jolene always made it a point to have lunch with Abel, either at the Clubhouse or at Gemma's, with her work for the day done by four. Bobby would kid her about keeping teacher's hours and, now that she thought about it, he was right. It was the only routine that worked for her because she missed having her son clinging to her during the day and she felt like she was missing out on so much by being away from him and her family back at T-M.

With the exception of the constant nudity and the ever present sounds of someone having sex on some set somewhere, Jolene had been surprised to realize that working in a porn studio was really no different from working in any other office. She occupied her time keeping the studio running smoothly, making sure that bills were paid, that directors, writers (yes, someone actually writes scripts for porn), and editors adhered to deadlines, meeting with the studio's webmaster and distributors, and confirming that the current roster of talent had all of their documentation permitting them to work in order.

Jolene wasn't the type of woman that stirred up trouble. She never had to as trouble always seemed to follow her around. She hated the drama and, in spite of being capable of holding her own and never backing down from a fight, she believed cattiness towards other women and cat fights were beneath her. Jolene definitely had bigger, more important things to occupy her time with, but Ima pissed her off to no end. After their initial confrontation in the parking lot on Jolene's first day, Ima had made it a point to do whatever it took to get under Jolene's skin. Jolene tried ignoring the bitch, thinking that at this point, maybe she was being hypersensitive as the mere fact that Ima was breathing irked her, but soon Jolene realized that Ima had launched a campaign to get her to lose her shit.

And a few days ago, lose her shit Jolene almost did when she returned after having lunch with her baby only to find that skank whore blowing some random dude in her office.

 _Really? You suck dick for a living, you can't find another hobby_?

Jesus Christ, had Bobby not just returned from lunch himself, Jolene would have ripped Ima's silicone breast implants out through her throat. Bobby had managed to pull her off the ledge, but Jolene had been stewing and plotting, trying to find one way or another to get back at the ho bag and to teach her who's the boss once and for all.

Jolene had been knee deep in file work, making sure all the actors had their working papers in order when, lo and behold, the prime opportunity to finally stick it to Ima practically fell in her lap. Not wanting to come across as petty and insecure—because Jolene Morrow would be damned if she let some porn pussy drag her down to that level—she practically turned the office upside down looking for Ima's paperwork and couldn't find it.

"Where's Ima? I need to speak with her." Jolene approached Dondo, who was sitting on set nursing his third cappuccino of the morning while lounging in his director's chair.

"Your guess is as good as mine, sweetheart." Dondo started, piling on the debonair charm that had yet to crack the icy exterior Jolene had perfected while she was within the walls of Cara Cara. "We've been working around her all morning. I had to break for an early lunch just so I wouldn't have people sitting around on their asses."

Jolene was befuddled. "Early lunch? Dondo, it's barely 11 o' clock. I cannot continue throwing money into this production if your talent refuses to make their call times." Jolene took a seat next to Dondo in her producer's chair, which she hardly ever used as she was hardly ever on set. "Besides, we have a bigger problem than just Ima's diva tendencies."

"If you mean to insult me by calling me a diva," Ima started as she strolled onto the set and approached Jolene and Dondo. "I take it as a compliment. I've earned the privilege."

Jolene gave her a look that said she pitied the fool. "If your behavior since I took over production is anything to go by," Jolene started. "You haven't earned shit, little girl. I am glad you finally decided to show up, though because we need to talk."

Turning away from Jolene, Ima strutted towards her dressing room. "I have to go to wardrobe and get ready for work. We'll talk later _if_ I have the time."

"Your work on this film is exactly what I need to talk to you about." Jolene settled back into her chair and crossed her bare long legs, which Dondo approvingly appraised. "I wouldn't bother changing because you are no longer the star of this production."

"What?" Both Dondo and Ima called out, surprised.

"I'm sure you don't want to have this discussion in front of your co-workers, so meet me in my office." Jolene hopped off the chair and headed in that direction.

"Just wait one goddamn minute, you stuck up piece of shit." Ima was storming towards her, but came to a screeching halt as Jolene turned around. Even though Jolene was a little thing herself in terms of height, she still managed to tower over Ima, especially in her 4-inch heels. Taken aback, Ima backed off slightly. "Dondo has a Director's Choice clause in his contract and final say on casting. You don't get to decide who works on what production, especially this one."

Jolene folded her arms across her chest. "Director's Choice clause, huh?" She asked and Ima nodded emphatically. "Well, I have a piece of paper granting me enduring power of attorney. Do you know what that means?" Looking somewhat confused, Jolene decided Ima had no clue what she was talking about so she continued. "It means that I'm in charge. Not directors, not writers, and certainly not the 'talent'. My signature goes on every check that leaves this building, including payroll, so _you_ , sweetie, work for me, not Dondo. As a matter of fact, Dondo works for me, too."

Getting up from his chair, Dondo approached the two women. "I'm sure we can work something out, Jolene. If you're upset about Ima being consistently late," He started and Ima flashed him an angry look. "I'm sure she realizes now how serious you are and will make sure she's on set from now on at her designated call time. Isn't that right, Ima?"

Before Ima could respond, Jolene raised her hand, shutting her up. "Her tardiness is only part of the problem. According to her file, the studio does not have a certificate from her doctor clearing her to work. You know as well as I do that the talent must get tested every 90 days. She hasn't supplied a certificate giving her the all-clear in six months. I cannot run the risk of the Health Department shutting us down because of the chance that she's exposing her co-stars to a shit stew of STDs. I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate the fact that Miss Diva here thinks she's above those that follow the rules and do their part to maintain a safe working environment. I want her off set until she gets tested and we have the all-clear." Jolene turned and headed to her office, but Dondo was not giving up.

"Wait a minute, Jolene. We're already two weeks behind schedule and it would be at least seven to ten days before we get all her results back. She's the star of this production. It was written especially for her. I can't replace her."

Jolene quirked an eyebrow at Dondo. "I understand that there are different levels of 'art', Dondo and you take your work very seriously and I admire that, but porn is not fuckin' Shakespeare and she's not Dame Judy Dench. Everyone's replaceable. Get rid of her and get back into production."

"Replace me?" Ima screeched, ready to scratch the bitch's eyes out.

"Yeah." Jolene answered her calmly before turning back to Dondo. "Like you said, we're already two weeks behind schedule. The distributors are expecting a final print of this epic before the end of the month. Every day we are late in making that deadline, we lose a point in profits for the studio. Unless Ima is so _irreplaceable_ that you are willing to take a cut in pay to make up for the loss to the studio in distribution, I suggest you find someone else to star in this film."

Dondo ran his hand through his thick full head of hair. "Connie!" He called out for his PA. The young woman sporting a headset ran up to the group. "Get Lyla on the phone. Tell her we need her down here ASAP." He instructed.

"You fuckin' bitch!" Ima yelled and lunged at Jolene, who held her ground, the look on her face prompting Ima to think twice about taking on a woman who had grown up surrounded by bikers.

Jolene smiled and placed her hand on Dondo's shoulder. "Thank you." She said before turning to head back to her office.

"You realize I'm going to have to re-film several scenes, waste all that film." Dondo called out to her.

"I can live with that." Jolene called out without looking back.

* * *

Even though she was exhausted, Jolene had been walking on sunshine ever since she had Ima escorted out of the studio and into her car by a couple of rent-a-cops. She was in an incredibly good mood and couldn't wait to see her little boy and gobble up his cheeks until he squealed in glee. As tired as she was, she had called Donna at the office and convinced her to bring the twins and join her and Abel for dinner and games at Chuck E. Cheese's in Lodi. Jolene pulled into the Teller-Morrow driveway and, before she could get out of her car, her father opened the front door.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be working?" Clay approached his daughter with his arms wide open.

"Hey, Dad." Walking into his embrace, Jolene reached up and kissed her father's cheek. "I got out of porn prison a little early. I had a couple of errands I needed to run."

"You know baby girl, if it's too much working in that cum factory, you can always come back to the garage—" Clay started, but Jolene finished.

"Over my dead body." She scoffed. "Dad, you know that office is not big enough for me and Gemma to work in together. It was a miracle I survived my teen years working for her without making you a widower."

Clay laughed. "Yeah, there were a couple of close calls." Kissing her on top of her head, Clay headed towards his bike. "I gotta run. With my AVP on vacation in that porn palace, I've got some Club business to handle. Neeta is inside with Little Man." Even after three months, Clay was still in awe of the fact that he had a grandson.

"Okay, Dad. I'll see you later." Jolene replied. Walking into the front door that Clay had left ajar for her, she headed towards the living room. Slinging her purse on the dark brown leather couch, she heard the piping voice of her son, mingled with the deep-throated laugh of his companion.

Leaning against the dining room entrance, Jolene saw her son perched on one of the dining room chairs, wrapped up in a large apron, and mixing a small handful of raw cookie dough.

 _Dad must have really loved seeing Abel in that get-up,_ Jolene thought snarkily.

Neeta, sitting at the head of the table in what she called "her chair"—that is whenever Clay wasn't around—was kneading a larger ball of the same mixture. The two of them practically had their heads together as they laughed at some bit of nonsense. Jolene smiled, watching them. In fact, she was so enthralled at the picture they made that it took her a moment to focus on their conversation.

"So Mommy really hit the bad man with a bat?" Abel said his eyes large pools of wonder.

"Uh huh. He was a big ol' nasty bully that was messing with your daddy. He outweighed your mama by at least 200 pounds, but she swung that bat at him like she was trying to hit a home run."

"Neeta?" Jolene exclaimed. Running into the room, she snatched Abel up from his chair. "What on earth are you telling my baby?"

Neeta rolled her eyes. "The truth. He needs to know that his mama ain't no punk bi—" Neeta paused as Jolene glared at her and rephrased her comment. "I mean to say, Abel baby," directing her gaze towards the boy, who was eagerly taking everything in. "You mama was just trying to help your daddy. She didn't hurt the man—much."

Abel swung his head to face his mother. "Then that's okay 'cause daddy says you have to protect your family, right Mommy?"

"Yes, baby. Family always comes first." Jolene sighed as she got a good look at her son, who despite the apron was a sticky mess from head to toe. "How did you manage to get cookie dough behind your ears? Come on. Let's go get you cleaned up before we head out." She pressed a kiss to his forehead as she headed towards the stairs.

"Mommy?" Abel queried as he played with his mother's ebony curls, getting them just as tacky with cookie dough as he own hair. "Why did they call you the Nutcracker when you went to school? Do I get to be a nutcracker too when I go to school?"

A loud, choked snort came from behind her. Turning to mouth at Neeta, "You are SO DEAD," Jolene carried her little prince upstairs while she tried to come up with a reasonable answer.


	6. The Boys Are Back in Town

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy** **.**

* * *

Walking out of the secondary gate of Chino Correctional Facility, the first thing Jax did was take a long, deep breath. As he inhaled the fresh air into his lungs and exhaled, Jax looked at Opie. It was their first breaths to be drawn as free men after being guests of the State of California for 14 months and it felt fuckin' great!

"So are you going to keep out of trouble, my man?" Billy asked as he unlocked the gate leading to the final one which would lead the two Sons out of the prison and into the world as men free and clear of their debt to society.

"Hell's yeah. I gotta do my best, man. I've got my family to live for now." Jax replied.

Thinking of his own children, two boys and a girl who were the apple of his eye, Billy nodded. "There ain't nothing more important, bro. You make sure you take care of them. That's too beautiful a family for you to end up back here again, especially as a three-time loser."

Jax nodded. Before Jolene came back into his life, he didn't care whether he lived or died in prison. But now, with his old lady and his son waiting for him, he realized just how much he had to lose should he end up as a guest of the State again. Jax was determined not to let anything or anyone separate him from his family ever again.

Looking past the reinforced steel fence, Jax saw a familiar and welcomed sight as four of his brothers escorted one of T-M's cargo vans up to the exit. Throwing his helmet aside, Tig swung his leg over his bike and walked up to the gate as the guard opened the locks, allowing Jax and Opie to walk through the open door.

Giving each of the men the standard bro hug, Tig said snarkily, "Aw, shit! I had to come see it for myself. I had to come see the sorry end to my 14-month vacation come to fruition."

"Funny, asshole." Opie replied.

"Hey, Jackie Boy!" Chibs yelled. "What the hell happened to your hair, man?"

"It's not like he wanted to cut it. It was more like he _had_ to cut it." Opie kidded. "Jax is just too damn pretty for prison and he was about to make himself a whole new set of friends."

Jax looked at Opie with narrowed eyes as he shook his head. "What the fuck, douche bag? Way to drop a dime on a brother."

"Anytime, bro." Opie replied cheekily, slapping Jax on shoulder.

Changing the subject, Jax called out to Happy. "Hey, any of you got something for us in the van?"

"Oh, yes we do!" Happy called out with something that, to the untrained eye, looked like a grimace, but was actually as close as he had ever come to a smile. Reaching through the window of the cargo van driven by Half-Sack, Happy picked up the two folded cuts lying on the passenger seat.

Walking up to Jax, Happy handed him his cut. "Long time coming, brother."

"Long time, indeed." Jax reverently held his cut in his hands. As he put it on over his hoodie, he felt a sense of relief. _Now, I am truly home._

Looking over to see Billy retreating to the prison, Jax called out, "Yo, Billy, wait up a minute." Jax turned to Chibs. "Did you bring what I asked for?"

Reaching into the van, Chibs trotted up to Jax holding a large paper bag and handed it over. "Here ya are, brutha. Just as you ordered."

Taking a look at the contents, Jax reached in and grabbed an item out of the bag. Jax smiled as he strode back to the gate. "Yo, Billy!"

As Billy turned back and saw Jax at the front gate, his eyes lit up on seeing the paper bag in his hands. "Is that what I think it is, man?" Billy motioned for the guard to re-open the gate.

Jax reached out to shake Billy's hand. As Billy pulled his hand away, his eyes widened as he discreetly pocketed the large wad of cash that Jax had palmed him. With the other massive hand he grabbed hold of the paper sack and opened it. The most heavenly smell wafted up to his nose and Billy smiled as he saw the four large loaves of Bobby's organic banana bread.

Looking at Jax, Billy said with a grin as he shook his hand again, "Man, you may be an outlaw, but you all right in my book. Be good, Jax and don't let me see you in here again."

"I will and you won't." Jax replied, smiling broadly.

* * *

As they traveled down the I-22 headed towards Charming, Jax reflected on the last six months of his imprisonment. It had felt like the longest stretch of time of his life and it was only made bearable because of his family. But as much as Jax loved his SAMCRO family—always had and always would—it was having Jolene back in his life that made all the difference. Even within the prison walls, living under the oppression of the grim reality of his day-to-day life laid out for him in a rigid set of rules, Jax felt like he was finally able to breath the moment he saw her walk into the VC. Doing time was never easy, whether you were doing one year or one hundred, but knowing that she was waiting for him gave Jax a sense of purpose, a reason to keep living.

The last four years had been pretty much touch-and-go for Jax. Now that he was sober, he saw just how reckless he had been. Not just with the excessive drinking and inappropriate pussy he had immersed himself in, but the manner in which he lived in and out of the Clubhouse. Getting caught in the crossfire of that gunfight in Oakland between the Niners and the Mayans was one thing. How it actually played out was another. The bad blood that had been brewing between LaRoy and Alvarez was not a SAMCRO beef, but Jax hadn't cared and had come out guns blazing. In retrospect, he knew that Ope had been right in calling him out on his death wish. He had been reckless that day in Oakland and, once his head cleared, Jax was devastated by the knowledge that he could have been responsible for taking a loving husband and father away from Donna and the kids by putting Opie in the middle of his own attempted suicide. The reality was Jax had been living like he was dying the moment Jolene had left him four years ago and he was just grateful that his wish had not come true. Fourteen months in Chino had been a small price to pay when considering that the alternative would've made a reunion with the love of his life impossible. Jax was no longer ready to die. He was ready to live.

Pulling the small photo album from his back pocket, Jax flipped through the pictures of his old lady and son, including recent ones taken during their visits these past few months. Jolene had made it a point to bring Abel to see him every week, sometimes twice in a week, and he lived for those visits, making sure that he did nothing to prevent him from seeing his family. While he loved spending time with Jo and Abel, he had to admit that the family weekend visits with his son had been some of the best as it gave them the chance to get to really know each other.

And Abel had loved having his daddy all to himself, practically fighting sleep as he wanted to stay up all night playing with Jax, talking a mile a minute the whole time. Holding Abel in his arms while he read to him one of his favorite bedtime stories, Jax felt the kind of contentment he hadn't felt since Jolene had left Charming. Each extended weekend visit only served to strengthen the bond between the two Teller men.

Jax hated himself every time he thought of how much it hurt Jolene not to be a part of those visits. Even though she never said as much, Jax could see it in her-ever expressive eyes whenever she handed Abel over to him and watched as Gemma got to go with them to their cabin. Proving herself to be the strong old lady Jax had always known she was, Jolene realized just how much Abel loved his father and knew that they would both benefit from spending time together. Her love for him and their son outweighed the feelings of petty jealousy she felt whenever another woman was granted rights that rightfully should belong to her.

 _I can't wait to see them and hold them in my arms, especially Jolene_ , Jax thought as his thumb lovingly grazed the photo of her beautiful, smiling face as Abel peppered her with kisses.

Snapping the album shut, Jax closed his eyes tight. His days in Chino had been tolerable. The nights, however, were long and Jax's craving for Jolene had only intensified during the last six months. He was aching to sink himself into her, to renew the love they had once shared, and to brand her as his own again.

So deep in his own thoughts, Jax hadn't even realized that he was back in Charming until the cargo van made an abrupt left turn onto a narrow street a few blocks off of Main. The van pulled to a stop at one of the newly refurbished semi-attached townhouses that had been redeveloped while Jax and Opie were on the inside. Each of the six townhouses had two levels, some of them sporting small yards in front as well as in the back of the property.

The cargo van doors slid open to reveal a grinning Tig. "This is your stop, man."

As Jax jumped out, Tig held out a set of keys for him and nodded towards the last townhouse on the neat little row of identical townhouses. Jax smiled as he saw his Dyna-Glide parked in the driveway.

"These are for your ride." Tig said. Slapping a hand on his head, he exclaimed, "Aw shit! I almost forgot." Jogging back to his bike, he reached into a saddle bag hanging off the side and pulled out Jolene's old helmet. Handing it to Jax, Tig said, "Um, Bobby found it at the Clubhouse. He thought Doll Face might need it again." He winked.

Wrapping his arms around Tig in a bro hug, Jax pulled away from Tig to look him in the eye. "Bobby did?" He asked, with a hint of a smile.

"Yeah, you know he's a sentimental old fart." Tig avoided looking directly at Jax.

 _I'll bet_ , Jax thought as he patted his brother on the back.

"You sure you want to do this, brutha?" Chibs called out from his bike. "You know Gemma is gonna have a righteous fit when we pull into the lot without ya." Chibs winced slightly as he imagined the tantrum Gemma was likely to throw. The Queen of Charming had pulled out all the stops for a party to end all parties to celebrate Jax and Opie's return and Chibs would bet a bottle of Jameson that she would not be happy about being stood up.

"Sorry, bro," Jax knew he was leaving his brothers to do his dirty work and bear the brunt of her ire. "But I _have_ to see my old lady." _Alone. Finally. After four long years._ There was no way in hell that he was going to wait until his mother's shindig was over before he could be with his love again. "You'll handle Moms just fine."

"Come on! It's time to go!" Opie shouted impatiently. He had no problem with getting to the Clubhouse. All he wanted was to see Donna and the kids again. It would be easy enough to sneak off to the dorms when everybody was looking at Gemma putting on a show because of her missing son.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Happy snarked, his gravelly voice belying the humor of his statement.

"Cut him some slack, man!" Tig shouted. "He's spent fourteen fuckin' months trapped in a sausage factory. The sex he's been wanting, he couldn't get and the sex he was getting, he sure as shit didn't want!"

Juice, throwing his two cents in, retorted cheerfully. "Just remember your old lady's gonna need the use of her legs later on. If she can't walk into the Clubhouse on her own, everybody will know why, including Clay." He laughed.

"I'm not worried about lil luvvie." Chibs stated, his face a mask of seriousness. "It's Jackie Boy here who's gonna end up with a broke dick by the time she's done with him."

Raucous laughter broke out among Jax's brothers and even the new Prospect couldn't help laughing, too.

"Ya'll done now 'cause, if you are, all of you can kiss my ass." Jax replied snarkily as he swaggered towards his new home, his brothers sobering up quickly as he threw over his shoulder, "Good luck with Gemma, assholes!"

* * *

To say that Gemma was upset was an understatement of mammoth proportions.

When the van pulled into the T-M lot to resounding cheers and clapping from all of the well-wishers, Gemma's heart had swelled with anticipation. With Donna by her side, Gemma had been holding Abel, who was excited beyond belief that his daddy was finally coming home. It was a shame that Jolene had not been able to get away from Cara Cara in time to see her old man rolling in.

Donna, who had gotten little sleep the night before, was on pins and needles, the excitement of finally seeing her husband overwhelming. Although Donna very rarely socialized with the Club, this was different. Her old man was coming home. As the cargo van door slid open to reveal Opie jumping out to immense cheers, Kenny and Ellie broke free from her death grip and ran to leap into their father's arms, with Donna running right behind him.

Gemma, using one arm to provide a shade against the sun's glare while using the other to hold Abel, couldn't see Jax. When the van door slid shut, she finally realized that he wasn't there.

"Where's my daddy?" Abel said loudly, tugging on Gemma's blouse to get her attention.

"I don't know, baby, but I'm about to find out." Gemma replied grimly as she marched towards Tig with a hard glint in her eye.

Tig, seeing Gemma on the warpath, grabbed Juice. "I hate to see Mommy upset. You tell her." Throwing Juice into Gemma's path, Tig beat a hasty retreat to the Clubhouse bar for a drink.

As a patched member for almost six years, Juice was not one to run away from danger or the possibility of certain death. But when Gemma bore down on him like a wily fox about to tear into her next meal of an extremely terrified rabbit, Juice swallowed rather loudly.

"Hey, Gem? How's it going?" As Juice got a good look at Gemma's face, his smile abruptly faded.

_Oh, shit. This is so totally not my fault!_

* * *

Jolene—surprise, surprise—wasn't at Cara Cara. She was home and in danger of pacing a hole into the living room carpet when she heard what she knew for sure were the roar of Harleys pulling up to the corner of the block. Suddenly feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, Jolene shook herself out of a near-panicky state as she said out loud, "He's home."

Fighting the urge to run out into the street, Jolene was contemplating whether or not she had time to down a shot of tequila when she heard the front door lock click open. With her heart pounding in her throat, Jolene's hands flew to her mouth to stifle herself from squealing like a teenage girl as her bright green eyes clashed with Jax's crystal blue ones.

"Hey, darlin'," Jax was beaming as he stepped into the house and slammed the door behind him. "I'm home." He announced.

Jolene was willing her legs to move, but there was a disconnect between her head and her feet, her heart refusing to let her eyes register that what she was seeing was true. She had dreamt of this moment for so long, she wasn't sure whether or not she was awake. Suddenly, it hit her, the realization that her old man, wearing his cut instead of his state-issued orange scrubs, was finally out and back into her life. It was a feeling she could only describe as warm and fuzzy as it spread from her heart to her stomach, unleashing an army of butterflies, until it finally seeped into her limbs, almost bringing her to her knees. Pushing her thick, black hair away from her face, Jolene took a tentative step forward, but for some reason, stopped.

"You're home." Jolene almost whispered, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, so I've heard." Jax arched an eyebrow and smiled. "I'm asking myself, though, why are my arms empty right now?" He held his hands out, a fake pout curling his lower lip.

Before he knew to brace himself, Jolene was off like a shot and running into his arms. Their bodies slamming into each other, Jax hugged her tight against his chest as Jolene's arms wrapped around him in a vise-like grip.

_I'm never, ever letting go._

Tilting her head back, she smiled into his eyes as he dipped his head and enveloped her mouth with his. Bringing his hands to either side of her head, Jax lovingly cradled her face, holding her steady as he devoured her until she was almost whimpering. Reluctantly breaking away, Jax let her come up for air as he trailed kisses down her neck and nuzzled her throat.

"Oh, Jackson," Jolene moaned against his ear. Leaving his mark as he sucked bruises into her skin, Jax growled against her neck at the sound of his name falling from her lips. Running her hands over his broad shoulders, Jolene grabbed his head, balling her hands into what she could of his hair, and brought his mouth back to hers.

Grabbing her by the hips, Jax picked her up as Jolene wrapped her legs around his waist. Breaking away from their kiss, Jax asked, "Where am I going, darlin'?"

"Couch?" Jolene offered breathlessly.

Jax smiled at her eagerness, but shook his head. "We'll break the couch in later, I promise," He winked at her. "But I've been waiting for this moment for four years, Jo. I want to make love to you in a bed, our bed."

"Upstairs, first door on the right." She quickly replied, bringing his mouth back to hers as Jax blindly headed towards the stairs. Tripping on the first step, Jax ended up on his knees between Jolene's legs as she landed on her back on the stairs.

"Holy shit! I'm sorry, babe." He couldn't help but chuckle as Jolene laughed out loud. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, baby." Jolene laughed as she pulled him in for a kiss, all the while pushing his cut off his back and finally succeeding in yanking him out of his hoodie and t-shirt. "I don't think we're gonna make it upstairs." She smiled as she watched Jax rip open her blouse, the buttons flying, some pinging off the glass of the framed artwork on the staircase wall.

"We have to," Jax breathed against her skin as he dropped kisses on the tops of her breasts, which were threatening to slip out of her skimpy bra. Jolene hitched a sharp intake of breath as Jax pulled on one of the cups and sucked her pierced nipple into his mouth.

"Oh, God, Jax," Jolene moaned as she tugged on his hair and pulled his head back. "Bedroom, on the count of three."

Jax smiled as he grabbed her hand and rubbed it against his erection currently tenting his jeans. "Are we running, 'cause I don't think I can run without hurting myself, darlin'."

"It's every man for himself," Jolene flashed him a devilish smile. "One-two-three!" She counted off in rapid succession, taking off up the stairs and down the hall on the count of two.

"Aw, you are such a cheater!" Jax took off after her, chasing her into the master bedroom.

Standing on the opposite side of the bed, Jolene was kicking off her shoes as she simultaneously wiggled out of her jeans and finished pulling off her torn blouse and bra.

"Come here." Jax demanded as he unzipped his jeans, kicking them off along with his boxers, his shoes flying across the room.

"No," Jolene challenged as she climbed onto the downy, fluffy bed. " _You_ come here."

Jax suddenly got serious as he drank her in from head to toe.

"Something wrong?" Jolene asked, suddenly nervous as her hand instinctively covered the barely-there scar on her chest.

Jax shook his head. "No." He tore his eyes from the tattoo below her navel and looked her in the eyes. "You still have my crow." He said softly.

Jolene bit her lower lip as she dropped her hands to caress the words, "Property of Jax Teller", beneath the crow in a dainty cursive. Her lips curling into half a smile, Jolene said, with her bright eyes gleaming mischievously, "Your crow, your pussy."

Jax grinned. "Damn right!" Jumping onto the bed, Jax tackled her onto her back. Straddling her, he buried his hands in her hair and kissed her deeply.

* * *

It was getting late and it would be dark soon. In the back of his mind, he knew there was a Clubhouse full of people waiting on his arrival, but Jax didn't give a shit. He had spent the afternoon just how he had dreamed he would for the past six months, making love to his Jolene, just as they had planned. He was exactly where he needed and had longed to be for the past four years, buried deep inside his old lady, reaffirming the feelings they had for each other through the physical expression of their love. It had been way too long since they held each other like this and Jax reasoned that Gemma's wrath at being stood up for a few hours was indeed a small price to pay. He was determined not to let anyone or anything knock him off his Cloud Nine.

Jax balled his hands into the hair at the back of Jolene's neck and pulled her mouth down towards him. Bracing herself with her hands on his muscled chest, Jolene was rocking her hips back and forth as she straddled Jax's cock, riding him hard and deep until her eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head. Jax first kissed her mouth and then tugged on her bottom lip with his teeth.

"Tell me you love me." He demanded as she forced animalistic grunts out of him, the pull of her tight pussy pushing him to the edge, driving him insane.

"Mmm hmm," Jolene moaned, unable to form the words that were burning at the back of her throat. Instead, she kissed him deep as his hands traveled down the curve of her back to her hips. Jax took control of their rhythm, slowing her down enough so that Jolene was able to find her voice again. She smiled against his lips. "I love you, baby." She panted.

In one fluid motion, Jolene was on her back. Stopping all movement, they were lost in each other's eyes again. Cradling her face with one hand, Jax kissed her long and slow.

"I fuckin' love you, Jo." He breathed against her lips. "Don't ever leave me again."

Jolene closed her eyes, spilling the tears she thought she could blink away. Looking into his eyes, Jolene promised, "I won't."

Jax smiled as he playfully nipped at her lips.

Jolene moaned softly and, in a manner that forced a groan or two out of Jax, slowly bucked her hips against his, coaxing Jax to start moving again. Gripping his rock-hard ass as he pushed himself into her, Jolene pulled him as deep as he could go and it still wasn't deep enough. She was groaning her need for him, telling him how much she had missed him, had missed his body and the feel of his mouth and his hands on her skin. Making love with him was as beautiful as she remembered it, but now she wanted to be fucked, _needed_ to be fucked. Breathing hard and growling like an animal against her throat, Jax lost himself. Inflamed by her pleas, he forced her legs up, his hands behind her knees, and grunted as he opened her up and pounded into her, the sounds he was eliciting from her a mixture of pleasure and pain.

Jolene was on fire and feeling him plunge deeper and deeper inside her was whipping her into a frenzy. Her release was imminent and she knew that, when she finally came, it would be the most magnificent and alive she has felt since the day she had left Charming. Jax was bringing her back to life, with every caress and every sweet-nothing he whispered to her, he was making her feel again. Pounding into her, each thrust harder than the last, Jax felt his heart about to burst in his chest. Finally letting go, Jolene screamed as she came and, unable to hold out any longer, Jax groaned in what sounded like pain as she sent him over the edge.

"Jesus Christ!" Panting, Jax fell against Jolene as she lovingly caressed the Reaper on his back. Unable to string another thought together as his blood slowly made its way back to his brain, Jax marveled again, "Jesus Christ."

Jolene giggled as they both struggled to catch their breath. "You're welcome."

* * *

Juice was sitting on the picnic table with his feet kicked out in front of him on the bench. It had taken almost a pint of Jack and two joints to mellow him out after the ass-kicking he got from being Gemma'd. The only small mercy was that Gemma had pulled him to the side so that it had been a private ass-kicking.

It had been over three hours since they had pulled into the T-M lot and Jax was still MIA.

 _At the rate they're going_ , Juice thought, _it's unlikely Jolene would be in any condition to travel._ And, honestly, Juice couldn't blame Jax one bit.

Everyone in the mother charter had been witness to that awful day in the Clubhouse when Jolene had walked out of Jax's life and it had torn Juice up when he had to report that Jolene had left San Diego without a trace. Jax hadn't been the same since. In addition to being his sponsor, Jax had been his friend and it had gutted Juice that he had been unable to help his brother when he needed it the most. Although a part of him felt that Jax had it coming after the way he had treated Jolene after the shooting that had almost killed her, Juice knew that he had genuinely loved her. Now, after everything the couple had gone through, they deserved a little bit of happiness and Juice hoped that things worked out for them. If the determination he had witnessed in his brother today and in Jolene these past few months was anything to go by, good luck to anyone who tried to get in the way.

As pissed as she had been that Jax had made a detour on his way to the Clubhouse from Chino, Gemma backed down a bit when she heard that Jax had asked to be dropped off at home. It had finally dawned on her that seeing his old lady first would indeed be Jax's top priority upon his release. After all, that was a reunion four years in the making and they deserved to enjoy that moment without a Clubhouse full of busy bodies bearing witness. No doubt that tearing a strip off of Juice's hide was only Gemma venting her frustration at being kept out of the loop once again by her son and his old lady.

An overly-eager-to-please croweater had been dropping hints into his ear that were finally starting to register through Juice's alcoholic haze. As he was about to get up from the picnic table to drag her off to his dorm, he heard the familiar sound of Jax's bike pulling into the lot.

And there, perched right behind him was Jolene.

Juice did a quick scan around the lot, singling out each of Jax's past indiscretions, including his soon-to-be ex-wife and the porn pussy Ima Ho. _No, no, it's Ima Tite_ , _I think_. They all looked about ready to shit a brick as they watched Jolene barely getting off the bike before Jax had pulled her into his arms for a quick kiss. Sitting back down, Juice chuckled to himself as he could practically see the steam coming out of their ears.

 _I gotta watch this_.

A steady roar of cheers started to build up until it was deafening as the revelers realized that SAMCRO's favorite Son was home at last. Bobby, Clay, and Gemma, with Abel on her hip, came forward as Jax, with Jolene's hand in a death grip, swaggered his way towards the Clubhouse entrance. Gemma's heart clenched in her chest. She hadn't seen her son so happy and smiling in years.

Suddenly, Abel became as slippery as an eel as he pulled out of his grandma's embrace to drop to the ground. Picking himself up, he ran to Jax yelling at the top of his voice, "Daddy!" as his father swept him up in a ferocious hug. Jax opened his other arm as his mother rushed forward to wrap her arms around her son.

Gemma, wanting to tear him a new one, shook her head as she took in the cheesy grin on his scruffy face and the love bites and hickies currently covering his neck. Looking over his shoulder at Jolene, who pretty much looked the same, Gemma just gave it up with a smirk. Yeah, she should have known that he would want to go home to Jolene first to mark his territory and start the re-branding process on each other before coming to the Clubhouse.

"Welcome home, baby." Giving him another hug, Gemma stepped back to allow Bobby to embrace his brother. As Bobby pulled away, Jax came face to face with Clay.

Clay grabbed hold of Jax's neck with his big burly hands. "Welcome home, son."

Looking into Clay's eyes, Jax could see that the emotion reflected there was not one of anger, but of welcome. Jolene glowed with pride. She could barely contain her joyful shit as Jax hugged his stepfather with Abel caught in the middle, creating a sandwich of the most important men in her life. Her legs already a little wobbly after her private session with Jax, Jolene was grateful when Gemma put her arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tight. Her stepmother had the same shit-eating grin on her face as everyone else in their immediate circle. Jolene was almost afraid to think it, but couldn't help heave a sigh of relief.

_Everything's gonna be alright._

Unfortunately, not everyone was sharing in Jax and Jolene's happiness. Wendy Case-Teller stood in shock as she watched the reunion of the Teller-Morrow family like she had been sucker punched.

 _This shit cannot seriously be happening_.

After her last violent confrontation with Jolene in the Clubhouse, Wendy finally bought a clue and had chosen the better part of valor by keeping herself out of sight and pretty much out of everyone's mind over the last few months. Remembering Gemma's warning, Wendy had made herself scarce around the Clubhouse whenever Jolene made an appearance, which wasn't often as Jolene kept herself busy working with Fat Elvis at the porn studio and taking care of her little bastard brat.

Left to her own devices, Wendy began spending more and more time with Dahlmer and his endless supply of crank and sex to deaden the fact that, more than likely, the good life in Charming was soon going to come to an end. Wendy was nobody's fool and, knowing that today was Jax's big return to Charming, had made an extra effort to look presentable and to have a clear head.

In her usual cranked-up state of mind, Wendy had allowed herself to believe that she might still have a shot with her husband. She had even considered telling him tonight that she planned on going back to rehab in an effort to make things work. Knowing that meant she would have to put a serious effort into getting sober and staying that way, Wendy honestly believed that Jolene Morrow was a non-issue, especially after the way she had so publicly walked out on Jax. Wendy was convinced that, at the very least, she'd have to deal with being stepmother to his demon seed, Abel.

But seeing Jax pull in with Jolene riding bitch on his bike made it imminently clear to Wendy that any hope of securing Jax for herself was gone. It was made obvious by the reactions of those who were in the know that Jax and Jolene had reconnected long before showing up together tonight and, if the brat's reaction towards his father was anything to go by, Jax has had knowledge of Abel for quite some time.

_There is no way in hell Jax is staying with me now, not when his slut has produced a son and heir._

Good thing she had secured for herself a neat little insurance policy. Wendy may have come into Charming with barely the clothes on her back, but she sure as fuck wasn't leaving that way.

The only bright spot for Wendy tonight would have been knowing that she wasn't the only woman on the lot who had been shocked and disappointed by the entrance of Jax with his old lady in tow. Sharing in her misery was Ima, who, uninvited to Jax's welcome-home party, was standing in a huddle with several other porn stars hoping to remain unseen until she had the chance to seek Jax out. Not expecting this particular turn of events, she was royally pissed.

_I can't believe this shit!_

Ima had spent the last several months before Jax ended up in Chino trying to work her way into his affections to no fucking avail. With his old lady in a perpetual drug-induced coma, Wendy had been unable to keep Jax's penis from wandering. Ima had managed to beat off the army of skanks elbowing each other as they circled the sexy, but grumpy biker and had pushed herself to the front of the line.

Ima had believed that with enough time, her dick-sucking skills would eventually pay off and she'd displace Wendy as Jax's new old lady. With barely two years in the adult industry under her belt, Ima was getting tired of earning her living on her back. Confident that her youth and skills in the bedroom gave her a slight advantage over most of the tired pussy chasing after Jax, including Wendy, Ima had believed that all she had to do was bide her time until he got out of prison.

The reappearance of his former old lady had been an unexpected curveball, but one she could deal with because, when Ima heard that Jax's ex was the MC President's daughter, she hadn't expected Jolene to look like she did. In spite of her pretty face and nearly-perfect body, Ima had to believe that Jolene Morrow was Jax's ex for a reason and he didn't appear like the type of man to repeat past mistakes.

But now seeing Jax playing "happy family" with his former old lady and a son she didn't even know he had, Ima realized her new boss and current bane of her existence was a force to be reckoned with. It was clear that the affection between the two was very real and the bitch was going to prove a little harder to displace than Wendy.

Ima knew that anything worth having was worth fighting for and she was determined to be the new Queen of Charming. If that meant getting down in the mud and playing dirty, then Jolene Morrow was going to learn the hard way that nobody played dirtier than Ima Tite.

* * *

Jax hadn't let Jolene out of his sight all night. He couldn't keep his eyes or his hands off of her. Even now, as he sat on the Clubhouse couch with her cradled on his lap, her head on his shoulder as he caught up with Chibs, Jax couldn't keep himself from touching her. His hand was lost in her thick, sweet-smelling hair and he had lulled her into a near-catatonic state as she cuddled up against him while he lovingly caressed her locks that curled around his fingers.

Jax smiled to himself. _If she were a cat, she'd be purring_.

Although he loved his brother, Jax was glad when Chibs offered him a beer, which he declined, and excused himself to go grab a drink at the bar. Caressing her face with his free hand, Jax brought Jolene's mouth to his and kissed her softly, but thoroughly.

Someone with a desire to live dangerously was standing in front of them, clearing their throat and trying to get Jax's attention. Reluctantly pulling away from his delicious lip lock with his old lady, Jax looked up with narrowed eyes as the Prospect One-Nut or something shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Half-Sack started, but Jax stopped him.

"Then why are ya?" He asked grumpily as Jolene nudged him.

Kip "Half-Sack" Epps had started his probationary period around the same time Jolene had returned to Charming. Although he had grown to know Jolene over the past several months, this was the first time he was within spitting distance of SAMCRO's VP. From what he could tell so far, Jolene's old man was just as delightfully laid back as her father, the Club's Pres—NOT!

Half-Sack swallowed hard then stuttered, "I, um, just, um—"

Jolene shook her head slightly and smiled as she realized that Jax's was doing his best to scare the living shit out of the poor Prospect by mean-mugging him. And it was working.

To Half-Sack's great relief, Jolene spoke up. "Did you pick up my car, Kip?"

Half-Sack nodded. "Yeah, that's why, um, here." Seeing the threat of a beat down clearly evident on the VP's face, he dropped the keys to Jolene's Mustang into her hand and took off.

"Thanks, Kip." Jolene called out to Half-Sack's quickly retreating back as Jax's shoulders shook with laughter. "You are so mean. He was doing me a favor."

"That's his job and mine is to make him fear the Reaper." Jax dropped another kiss on her lips. "Besides, ask anyone. I'm only nice to you."

Tilting her head until it was practically on his shoulder, Jolene caressed his bearded cheek as Jax swooped in for another round, their tongues dancing against each other.

"I'm _so_ ready to go home, darlin'." He said against her lips.

Jolene smiled. "We've only been here a few of hours."

"Isn't it past Abel's bedtime, though?"

Jolene cocked an eyebrow at him. " _Abel's_ bedtime, huh? I think it's more like his daddy's ready for more _bed_ time."

"Can you blame me?" Jax smiled as he pulled her in for still another kiss. "We have a couch to break in and a house to christen after we put our son to bed. It's gonna be a long night, baby."

"Good luck getting him to cooperate." Jolene giggled as Abel made a run for it across the Main Room, clutching several cigars from his grandfather's pocket in his tiny fist, with Clay in hot pursuit. "He's a little ball of energy tonight."

"Yeah, but you know the real party won't start until all the buzz-killing kids and their parents are gone." Jax responded. "At this point, everyone's just being polite. They can't wait for us to get the hell out."

Jolene held her old man's face in her hands and looked into his eyes. "Bullshit!" She exclaimed with a laugh. "You're just horny."

"Duh!" Jax said, his eyes crossed.

With Jax's "help", Jolene jumped off his lap as he gave her round ass an appreciative squeeze, almost causing her to yelp in surprise.

"You goosed me." Jolene accused good-naturedly.

"That's nothing. Just wait 'til we get home." Jax smiled as he braced himself to catch his tiny speed demon of a son as Abel was about to whiz by him after running circles around his grandpa.

Jax made one more pass-through the Clubhouse and the lot, talking to his brothers and showing off Jolene and their son one last time before rounding up his family and taking them home. He never saw Wendy or Ima, both of whom had been watching him the entire time he had been on the lot.

With Jolene and Abel in her Mustang, Jax followed them on his bike until they reached what Jax considered to be their new, albeit temporary, home. Parking his bike behind Jolene's car, Jax beat her to the backseat and unstrapped a sleeping Abel. But as his father carried him into the house, Abel got a second wind.

"Daddy, are we home?" Abel asked, rubbing his eyes.

"That's right, Little Man." Jax smiled at Jolene. "We're home."

"And you are going to stay wit us?" Abel questioned anxiously.

"That's right. I'm not going anywhere." Jax replied softly.

Abel gave him a wide grin. "Come see my room."

Wriggling out of his father's arms, Abel grabbed hold of his father's big hand with his tiny one as he marched towards the stairs with Jolene in their wake.

Jax had been so busy celebrating his reunion with Jolene that he hadn't really paid attention to the house, but as he climbed the short set of stairs, he took a quick look around and liked what he saw. Even though it was a furnished rental, Jax could see his old lady's subtle touches around the house, making it into a home. He smiled as he realized that the neat freak was alive and kicking in Jolene because, in spite of having a very active three-year as an occupant, the house was spotless. Jolene had chosen well as the two-story house was well-designed and comfortable. As much as he wanted to have Jolene need him, he knew she was more than capable of being on her own. Jax didn't like it, but he loved her too much not to respect her independence and knew that unlike women like Wendy, Jolene was with him because she wanted him, not because she needed a man to provide for her.

Dragging his father into his room, Jax was almost struck speechless at the mural of a lone biker, who curiously looked very much like Jax, and his ride. Jax swung around to look at Jolene, who shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. "Ronnie did it."

Abel, not wanting to be left out of the conversation said to his father "Auntie Ronnie drawed it for me. I wanted you on the wall and she painted it. Like my picture." Abel ran to the small table next to his toddler bed and picked up a photo and handed it to Jax. "See? That's you." Jax looked with astonishment at an old photo that Jolene had framed of him leaning on his bike, his arms crossed over his chest and Tig, Bobby, Piney, Juice, Big Otto, Opie, and Chibs surrounding him in a tight semi-circle. Everyone was smiling happily, except for Piney, of course.

Jax's heart swelled when he saw just how much care Jolene had taken to ensure that Abel knew and loved his father. Clearing his throat, Jax stooped down to Abel. "Why don't you show me the rest of your room?" Not needing to be asked twice, Abel spent the next thirty minutes showing off all his little possessions to his father.

Jolene smiled, the sight of Abel doing his best to fight off sleep tugging at her heart. As much as he wanted to stay up with his daddy, it was a losing battle. "I think we need to get him into bed before he passes out. We can forgo a bath tonight."

Picking up a very sleepy Abel from the floor, Jax helped Jolene get him out of his clothes and into his pajamas. Before they could even get his little SAMCRO t-shirt off, Abel was fast asleep. Laying him in his bed and tucking him in, Jax bent over to kiss Abel on the forehead.

"I love you, son." Jax whispered softly before he and Jolene walked out of the room and quietly shut the door.

* * *

 _This is too fuckin' intense_.

Jolene moaned. "Oh my God." She whimpered into her pillow.

Jax stopped moving. "You okay, baby?" He breathed into her ear. "Am I hurting you?"

"No! Oh God, Jax! Don't stop!" Jolene demanded.

Jax smiled as he dropped a kiss on her back and started pushing himself into her again. He had Jolene pinned to the bed on her stomach, with one leg hiked up and bent at the knee, opening her up to him as he pounded into her from behind. Now it was Jax's turn to moan.

_Her pussy's tight, but this shit is insane!_

He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold back before she came, so he pulled out.

"Jax!" Jolene cried out, practically glaring at him over her shoulder.

"Relax, darlin'." Jax smiled. "I won't leave you hanging."

He needed a brief time out or, for the first time in their history together, he _was_ gonna leave her hanging. He didn't know what it was, couldn't explain it. Maybe it was their time apart or the time he'd spent in lockup, but the intensity he felt each time they had made love so far was almost too much. Pushing himself onto his knees, Jax grabbed her slender hips and coaxed Jolene to flip over onto her back.

 _Jesus Christ, she's beautiful_.

Her raven curls were a tousled mess against the pillow as she watched him through heavy-lidded light green eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips. Jax shook his head and smiled as he leaned over her.

"You know exactly what you're doing to me, don't you?" He kissed her mouth before blazing a trail of hot kisses over the faint scar between her breasts before practically swallowing one of her nipples. Jolene hitched a sharp intake of breath as she arched against him.

"I don't know what you mean." She smiled wickedly as she reached between them and wrapped her dainty hand around his dick. Stroking him with her own juices, Jolene forced a groan out of him.

"Fuck, Jo!" He grabbed her hand and pinned it with the other over her head. As amazing as it felt having her touch him like that, she wasn't helping in improving his stamina at the moment. A couple of more strokes and he would have cum in her hand. "You're gonna act like a bad girl, I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson." He threatened with a wink.

"Oh, I'm ready, baby." She challenged.

Jax watched as the playful belligerence in her eyes was replaced with a smoldering heat as he entered her with two fingers, his thumb circling over her clit.

"Holy shit, Jackson!" She almost screamed as he coaxed her into cumming.

 _Can she possibly get any wetter_ , Jax smiled to himself.

Pulling him towards her, Jolene moaned and kissed him at the same time. "You don't play fair."

"No. I don't." Jax sucked his fingers. She tasted sweet, almost like a peach.

Although she found the gesture extremely sexy, Jolene couldn't help but laugh. "You really like pussy, don't you?"

"What are you talkin' about? I _love_ pussy." He smiled. "Jolene-flavored pussy's my all-time favorite, though."

Pushing himself up again, Jax grabbed her by the hips and pulled Jolene towards him, his dick as hard as a rock as he entered her, her moist heat instantly clenching itself around him. Jax pounded into Jolene mercilessly, forcing her to cry out and her gorgeous tits to bounce up and down violently. Jolene had to place her hands on the tops of her breasts to keep them smacking her in the face.

"Let me, baby." Jax gently pushed her hands away and palmed her tits, his thumbs grazing over her pierced nipples. They both groaned as Jax felt her tighten further around his dick.

"I'm cumming, baby." Jolene moaned, reaching for him.

"You do that, darlin'." _Please_ , Jax nearly begged as he squeezed his eyes shut and he bit down on his lip.

He ran his hand over his face, fighting for control as he finally felt her pussy's contractions. Jax let himself fall against Jolene, kissing her face as she convulsed beneath him. Groaning, he let himself cum inside her as she ran her hands through his closely cropped hair, telling him how much she loved him.

Looking into her eyes, Jax smiled. "I love you more."

* * *

Jax heard the toilet flush from deep within the large master bathroom directly opposite the massive bed as he flicked the ashes from his cigarette into the ashtray on the nightstand. He listened with a smile as Jolene hurriedly washed her hands, exited the bathroom, and quickly dashed across the room. Wearing one of his SAMCRO t-shirts, she jumped under the covers and cuddled up against Jax.

"You did that in record time, darlin'." He dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

"It's almost sunrise. There's no telling when Little Man's gonna come barreling through that door." Jolene smiled as she played with the feathery hair on his belly trail. "I wanna get my cuddle time in before that happens."

"You mean after that last round, you still haven't had enough?" Jax teased.

"We weren't cuddling. We were fucking." Jolene smiled. "And, for the record, I can never get enough of either."

"I know. I lose like five pounds in bodily fluids each time we hit the sack." Jax kidded as he stubbed out his smoke.

"If that were possible, after the last eighteen hours, you'd be dead by now." Jolene retorted.

"I can't think of a better way to go, darlin'." Jax started. "If I could choose how to die, it would be with my dick buried deep inside your pussy."

"Aww, you're such a romantic." Jolene wrinkled her nose at him.

"I know, right?" Jax bent his head to rub noses with her. "Too bad you only love me for my big dick." He teased, with just a hint of cockiness.

Jolene pulled herself up to face level with Jax. "And what a lucky girl I am." She almost whispered as Jax brought his mouth to hers and kissed her softly at first, deeper and more demanding as she responded. So lost were they in their embrace that Jax didn't have time to react before a pair of tiny knees connected with his crotch, almost crushing his balls.

"Morning!" Abel greeted happily as he forced his way between his parents.

"Good morning, baby boy." Jolene kissed the top of Abel's blond head as she sympathetically watched Jax writhe in pain.

"Morning, son." Jax groaned hoarsely, running one hand over his face as he cupped his balls with the other.

Grateful that the pain was starting to slowly ebb away and with the color returning to his face, Jax looked over to see two pairs of seafoam green eyes watching him intently.

"You okay?" Jolene asked, biting the insides of her cheeks to keep from smiling and doing a piss poor job of it.

Jax nodded as he exhaled a deep breath. "I think Abel's working on being an only child, aren't you?" He grabbed a surprised Abel and lifted him up in the air. Bringing him down to rest on his bare chest, Abel melted into a puddle of giggles as Jax tickled his ribs.

"Careful," Jolene warned with a smile. "I doubt Little Man hit the head on his way here. Wouldn't want you to get peed on, too."

Jax suddenly stopped his tickling. "You wouldn't do that to your old man, would ya?" He held his son up in the air again as Abel crossed his little arms over his chest and nodded, the devilish grin on his face all too familiar to Jax. It was the exact replica of the one on the beautiful face of the love of his life, who was sitting to his immediate left.

Biting her lip, Jolene watched as Jax lovingly pressed a kiss against his son's head and placed him on the floor next to the bed. "Go pee." He said and Abel dashed out of the room and down the hall as fast as his little feet could take him.

Smiling at the goofy look she was giving him, Jax asked, "What?"

Reaching for Jax, Jolene pulled herself onto her knees and kissed his new "Abel" tattoo on his muscled chest, courtesy of Happy, before brushing her lips against his. "You don't know how happy it makes me to see the two of you together. I never thought I'd get to see that." She replied with a slight catch in her throat.

"I never thought I could fall in love in an instant like I have with my son."

"He loves you, too."

"Thanks to you, darlin'. He knows who I am because of you."

"I'm so sorry, Jax." Jolene said, stealthily brushing away tears. "I shouldn't have kept him from you for so long."

Jax was shaking his head as he cupped her face in his hands. "No, Jo. Stop, okay? We're moving forward, baby. Don't look back 'cause even if I get to live my life twice, I'll never be done apologizing to you and we can't live like that, can we?"

Jolene shook her head. "I wouldn't want to live like that."

"Good." He pulled her in for a kiss and could taste the tears on her lips.

"Gemma says—" Jolene started, but Jax stopped her by kissing her again.

"Don't finish that sentence, Jo." Jax warned. "I know it's not you, darlin' but for the sake of my sanity and my relationship with my mother, I don't wanna know what Gemma has to say about any of this."

"You're bound to hear it, Jax." Jolene said and Jax nodded.

"Trust me, I have and I've dealt with it. If I have to, I'll deal with it again, but for now, let's not spoil my first weekend out of the joint." He smiled. "Aside from being a little sleep deprived thanks to my sex-starved old lady, we've already started it off with a great bang." He winked at her, emphasizing the double-meaning of his statement.

"What do you wanna do first?" Jolene smiled, brushing away the last of her tears.

"Pancakes!" Abel called out from the foot of the bed, before climbing up and over Jax, who was prepared this time and protected the family jewels from further rough-housing.

"I'm not sure, darlin', but I think he wants pancakes." Jax kidded.

"Uh-huh." Abel nodded his head in righteous agreement.

"Why not? It's barely six a.m. on a Saturday," Jolene shrugged her shoulders. "It's never too early for pancakes." She teased.

"I don't know about all that, Jo." Jax replied, a little worried that sleeping in on Saturdays had just gone the way of the dinosaurs.

"Don't worry," Jolene smiled. "He usually goes into a pancake coma for a good two to three hours afterward."

"Ahh, more 'cuddle time' for mom and dad?" Jax waggled his blond eyebrows at her as he jumped out of bed and into a pair of boxers.

"You know it."

* * *

Jolene finished cleaning up after the Teller-Morrows' first official pancake feast to rival any of Gemma's breakfast buffets at the Clubhouse. Half expecting to find Abel talking Jax's ear off as they watched Saturday morning cartoons, Jolene felt her heart tighten in her chest as she entered the family room and spotted Jax fast asleep and spread out on the couch with Abel passed out and snuggled on his bare chest.

 _Oh my God_ , Jolene's hand flew to her mouth.

Once again, she couldn't believe that she had almost denied them, and herself, this moment and many more like this for years to come. Bending over them, Jolene dropped a light kiss on her son's furrowed brow. Turning her head to drop one on Jax, she was confronted by a pair of smiling blue eyes. She kissed his mouth softly and Jax shifted on the couch, careful not to disturb Abel.

"Come," He whispered. "There's always room for one more."

Jolene climbed onto the narrow space. Wrapping his arm tightly around her shoulders, Jax hugged her to his side, managing to cradle both his son and his old lady in his arms.

"Wow," Jax marveled as he pressed a kiss against her forehead. "This is mind-blowing, darlin'."

"It's only the beginning, Jax." Jolene replied, as she snuggled up against the only man she would ever love. "We have so much too look forward to."

"I dreamt about this moment for so long. I was starting to give up hope that I would ever hold you in my arms again." Looking down at Abel, Jax smiled. "I never thought that Little Man here would be a part of the package. God, he looks so much like you, Jo."

"Oh no, he's you, through and through, baby. You can't see it now since you cut off all of _my_ hair, but that's changing this afternoon."

Jax quirked an eyebrow suspiciously. "How's that?"

"You'll see." Jolene said playfully.

* * *

It was late afternoon when the Teller-Morrow family pulled up in front of Floyd's Barbershop. As Jolene got out of her car, it hit her that this would be her first time at Floyd's since the shooting. She had been across the street to Murphy's Stop-N-Shop numerous times since returning to Charming, but she had always managed to avoid looking in the direction of Floyd's shop.

Jax, having pulled up behind Jolene, had already parked his bike and was unbuckling Abel from his car seat. As he stood up with Abel in his arms, he made eye contact with Jolene and she could see that his thoughts were taking him back to that horrible Sunday evening over four years ago.

Reaching over to wrap his arm around her waist, he tenderly kissed her forehead. "You okay, darlin'?" He asked.

With a small smile, Jolene nodded. "Let's go in."

Floyd had his back facing the front door, so when it gave a little jingle as it opened, Floyd asked without turning around, "What can I do you for?"

"How about a haircut for my son and a hot shave for me?"

Floyd turned around to see for the first time the new Teller family. "Well, welcome home, son!" Floyd held out his hand, which Jax shook warmly.

"It's good to be home." Jax smiled. Nodding at his girl, he said, "You remember my old lady, Jolene."

"Why, yes, I do." Reaching out to shake her hand, Floyd was surprised when Jolene suddenly wrapped her arms around him for a hug. The last time Floyd had seen the young woman, she had been bleeding out and dying on the street outside his shop. He was happy for the young Teller that the woman he so obviously loved and almost lost was back in his life. As she pulled away and Floyd looked into her huge eyes, they both realized that there was really nothing more that either of them needed to say.

Floyd looked over at the small boy with blond wavy shoulder length hair in Jax Teller's arms, and asked, "Now who is this?"

"I'm Abel Teller and I'm going to get my hair cut. What's your name?"

"It's Floyd. Put it there." Floyd held out his old and wrinkled hand and Abel reached out to shake it. "Well, why don't you sit down in my best chair?" Floyd offered, as he reached under his workstation and pulled out a booster seat, which he secured to the barber's chair and turned to face Jax so he could put Abel in.

Whipping out a small cape, Floyd tied it around Abel's neck. Looking at Jax, Floyd asked, "Anything special you want today, son?"

Before Jax could reply, Abel piped up. "Yes. I want my hair cut jus like my daddy's."

Floyd smiled hugely. "Well, I like a boy who knows his own mind."

"Can you cut hair good?" Abel asked.

Jolene, who was videotaping the event with her phone, tried to stifle a laugh.

"Why, Abel, I'm the best barber in NorCal." Floyd replied. "Not only have I cut your daddy's hair before, I cut your mama's, too."

"You did?" Abel said with big, wide eyes.

"Uh huh." At Jolene's perplexed look, Floyd let out a belly laugh, which was quite a loud noise coming from such a small man. "You don't remember, do you?"

Jolene shook her head, bewildered. "No, I don't. You must be thinking of someone else."

"Oh, no. It was you alright. I'll never forget that story."

"Tell it. Please tell me the story bout my mama's hair." Abel cried.

Floyd started pulling together his instruments as he talked to Abel. "This was a really long time ago, when your mama was a little girl, just a few years older than you, actually. You see, your grandpa, he wasn't real big on hair fixing. He could have taken her over to Gina's Cut-and-Curl, which is a lady's hair salon down the block, but I think it was just a little too 'pink' for him." Floyd's shoulders heaved a little with his laughter. "So one day he came in here with Bobby Elvis and in between them, came your mama. She was this little tiny thing with fantastically big green eyes."

"Jus like mine?" Abel asked, enjoying the story.

"Just like yours. She had all this hair all over the place. I think Bobby tried to fix it into something resembling pony tails, but your Uncle Elvis is a singer, not a hairstylist. Your mama looked just like a sheepdog. It wasn't 'til I cut her some bangs that you could really see those pretty green eyes."

As Floyd was talking, a flash of memory hit Jolene. "Oh, my God. I completely forgot about that."

"Uh, well, you probably wanted to forget. Your dad brought you in here cause you got in some fight with some boy, who you beat the tar out of. In fact, if I remember right, you got expelled from school for a little while. Anyway, the boy's only line of defense had been pulling you down by your hair, so Clay had me cut it as short as a boy's."

"Mommy, what is espelled?"

Jolene's eyes darted around wildly. "Oh, it means I took a little break from going to school for a while." Floyd coughed loudly and turned his head.

Smiling, Jax looked at Jolene. "I think I remember that. Wasn't his name Brick, or Bart, or something?"

Like it only happened yesterday, Jolene's head whipped around towards Jax. " _Brad_. It was _Brad Watson_. I'll never forget that little mother—" Jolene snapped her mouth shut as Abel's eyes swung to her.

"Little what, Mommy?" Abel asked curiously.

Jolene sighed ruefully. "Little mother trucker, baby."

Looking at Jolene's hair, Floyd shook his head. "Well, I truly hated to do it." He continued. "You had such beautiful hair. Still do. As it turns out, though, by the time it grew back, you were never in my chair again. That's when Gemma started taking you over to Gina's and I heard from Gina herself that you didn't like it over there much."

"Why didn't you like it, Mommy?" Abel asked.

"Because I liked hanging out with your grandpa, daddy, and Uncle Ope way better. It was nice here and a lot more fun." Jax and Opie would get their hair cut in Floyd's all the time.

_And by that time, I was so in love with your father I wanted to spend every minute I could with him._

Abel smiled. "I like it, too."

Floyd smiled. "So, are you about ready for your hair cut, young man?"

"You gonna make it jus like my daddy's, right?" Abel asked, wagging his little index finger at Floyd, in what was, in Jax's opinion, a perfect imitation of his grandpa Clay.

"I sure will."

"Okay. Then go ahead."

So with his parents looking on proudly, Floyd cut the hair of SAMCRO's next generation.

* * *

Jax was on top of the world.

Being back home in the small town he had grown up in, with his old lady and son at his side, Jax couldn't see how anything could bring him down off of his natural high.

That is, until he stepped out of Floyd's and ran smack into Deputy Chief David Hale.

At first, Jax hadn't realized that it was Hale he had bumped into, as he was too concerned with Abel, who had borne the brunt of the assault by being in Jax's arms.

"Ow, Daddy!" Abel had yelped as he connected with Hale's chest.

"Sorry, Little Man." Jax looked up to excuse himself and stared into the cold winter glare of Hale's blue eyes.

Jolene, who had lingered behind a moment with Floyd before following Jax, got an eyeful as she stepped out of the shop. Apparently, the two alpha males were getting ready to square off on Main Street, just like in the old westerns she used to watch as a child with Uncle Elvis on Sunday afternoons. Well, actually, _she_ watched them while Bobby tried to recover from tying one on the night before.

Jolene quickly moved to defuse the situation. Stepping in between the two men, she smiled, "Hi, David. How have you been?"

After several seconds, Hale pulled his gaze away from the Teller men and looked down at Jolene. "I've been fine. I can see by looking at you that you're doing well yourself."

Hale returned his gaze back to Jax. He too looked surprisingly well. With a new short haircut and a healthy golden glow, Teller looked more like he had spent time in a day spa for men than as a guest of the State of California for the last 14 months.

As he held Abel in his arms, who was now sporting a matching haircut, it was obvious to anyone with eyes in their head that Jax and Abel were father and son.

"I heard that you were getting out." Hale said quietly.

"That's right," Jax replied, his jaw clenched so tight, he barely moved his mouth to speak.

With his blue eyes gone slate gray and his nostrils flared, Hale realized that Jax was livid. In fact, that was too tame a word. Jax was enraged, as if he was doing everything he could to hold himself back from tearing Hale apart with his bare hands.

As Hale's eyes met his cold resolute stare, it finally hit Hale full force. _He knows_. The former Marine could see the murder in the outlaw biker's eyes and, for the first time in his life as an officer of the law, Hale felt the cold fingers of fear wrap around his heart. If anyone could get away with killing a cop in this town, that man would be Jackson Teller.

"Ow, Daddy! You squeezing me!" Abel complained as Jax's arm had tightened around him through the brief exchange.

At once, Jax released his death grip on his son. "I'm sorry, Little Man." He pressed a kiss against Abel's forehead.

His momentary hurt forgotten, Abel asked hopefully, "Okay. Can we go get ice cream now?"

"Yes," Jolene quickly interjected. "I think that's a great idea." Linking her arm with her old man's, she nodded at David. "We better get going. My two men really deserve a treat today."

_Especially Jax for not killing Hale in front of our son._

As the Teller family walked away, Jax took one last look over his shoulder at Hale, who was still standing on the sidewalk as if he was frozen. On Jax's face was all of the rage and anger that he felt, along with a message.

_It's not over, asshole. Not by a long shot._

* * *

Jolene was standing in the kitchen with Donna, laughing and chopping veggies over a glass of pinot noir. She was simply dressed, nothing fancy, but she made the red, belly-bearing tank top, blue flannel shirt, and low riding jeans look runway ready. Her notorious mane of thick black curls was pulled back into a loose ponytail that nearly fell to the small of her back. If Donna had not known Jolene since they were in middle school, she would be hard pressed to believe that this was the same grease monkey tomboy who had practically lived at her father's garage.

 _Shit, was it any wonder that, after all of these years apart, Jax still had a hard-on for her friend_ , Donna contemplated.

Since Jolene's return to Charming, Donna had seen her BFF settle into life among her family again. It was a different Jolene, though, a harder, tougher woman than the one that had left town. But now that Jax was back, Donna could see that the light had been switched back on in her best friend and she was happy for it.

And so was Jax.

He had propped himself against the edge of the doorway leading into the kitchen. He was watching Jolene again, a hint of a smile tugging on one corner of his mouth. He tried convincing himself that he wasn't stalking her, that he wasn't obsessed. He just needed to look at her, hear her voice every once in a while in order to convince himself that he wasn't dreaming and that she wasn't going anywhere.

Jolene had been hard at work in Gemma's kitchen helping to prepare for the first of what Jax hoped would be many family dinners under his mother's roof. After he had cornered her in the pantry earlier, his hands making the delightful discovery that she wasn't wearing a bra, she had been actively avoiding Jax. The last thing Jolene wanted was getting busted by Gemma acting like a hormonal teenager. Jax wasn't giving up, though and he certainly had no problem with getting busted. He was fresh out of prison, for fuck's sake, and had he had it his way, they wouldn't have let their bedroom at all today.

Moving on to the totally engrossing and all-important task of folding paper napkins in order to avoid making eye contact with him, Jolene was prattling on with Donna about Cara Cara. Whatever Jolene had just said nearly caused Donna to choke on her wine before both women nearly collapsed into each other's arms laughing. Jax smiled, his heart tightening in his chest at the sound of her laughter.

Goddamnit if he wasn't turning into a chick. Jax shook his head as he headed out back to do something manly like grill some steaks or torture the Prospect.

With a larger crowd than usual over for Jax and Opie's first Sunday dinner in over a year, Gemma had set up a large picnic table in the Teller-Morrow backyard. Two smaller tables had been set up as well. One to hold the massive spread that Jolene, Donna, and a couple of other old ladies had helped put together and the other for the children of SAMCRO.

Music played in the background as, sitting across from Jolene at the picnic table, Jax was having a tough time talking to her without mentally fucking her as well. Jolene knew him so well, she could read it in his eyes and in the half grin he flashed her with from time to time. That was the same wolfish look that had gotten her into trouble so many times. That look was a warning that, when the opportunity presented itself, he was going to bang the living shit out of her. If anyone on the Academy's Board of Trustees back in Seattle had ever met Jax Teller, the incident with the loser in Lodi would have made so much more sense. They would have been like "Yeah, alright, we so totally get it" because the man was the personification of sex on wheels and what woman in her right mind wouldn't bash another man's head in to protect him?

Jolene used the napkin she was holding to dab away the light sheen of perspiration that suddenly broke out on her face and then used it to wipe up a little spill that Abel had with his milk. Shit, he was making her hot _._

 _Just throw me a signal, baby. You know how much I love a quickie_ , she smiled to herself.

Catching the hint of a smile on her lips, Jax raised an eyebrow at her, prompting her to respond with a barely perceptible wink. Yeah, he needed to find a way to extract himself from the family to pinch some alone time with his old lady. Like right now. He was getting hard just looking at her bite her lip as she struggled to keep her eyes from connecting with his again for too long. As if reading his mind, Jolene suddenly excused herself as she plopped Abel down into his grandfather's lap and followed Gemma back into the house while carrying several dirty plates.

Downing the rest of his beer, Jax almost slammed the bottle on the table as he got up from his seat. Clay's eyebrows raised as Jax made to leave the table. "I'm gonna take a piss." Jax lied and made his way inside.

Bobby, who was standing by the backdoor nursing a beer, raised his bottle to Jax with a smile. "Go get her, tiger." Rolling his eyes at Bobby, Jax patted his friend on the shoulder as he entered the dining room, only to run into Gemma and Donna.

 _Well, so much for being discreet_ , Jax thought as his mother flashed him a look that told him she knew exactly what he and Jolene were up to.

"Upstairs." Donna simply said with her hand on her cocked hip, looking at him as if asking what took him so long.

"And be gentle, please. I just re-did my bathroom." Gemma almost pleaded. Jax gave her a smirk that said he wasn't making any promises before tearing into the next room.

"Oh shit!" Donna laughed as Gemma shook her head.

While she could certainly understand what it was like having your old man back home after being locked up for fourteen months, if Donna knew her best friend and her old man like she knew she did, these two were quickly approaching setting a world's record for the number of times they could have sex in a 72-hour period. Donna wasn't into voyeurism and never really watched porn, but hot damn, what she wouldn't give to be able to see what the hell that was all about!

Jax hit the second floor landing and spotted Jolene leaning against the wall outside the hall entrance to the master bathroom, waiting. His crystal blue eyes clashing with her sea green ones, Jolene dazzled Jax with a sexy grin. Smiling back, Jax prepared himself to catch her crazy ass as she ran towards him. Leaping into his arms, Jolene wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Hey, darlin'," Jax smiled at the familiarity of the situation. In the past, no matter how long he'd been away on a run, one week or one day, Jolene had always celebrated his return by running and jumping into his arms. Having been tormented all day long by the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra, he stroked her back as she nuzzled his neck with kisses, causing his skin to goose bump all the way down to his crotch.

Jolene pulled away. "What is this? Like our fourth time today?" She smiled, tenderly holding his scruffy face in her hands.

"Hey, it could've been our fifth if you hadn't stopped me in the pantry." Jax grinned.

Leaning in, he kissed her softly at first, relishing the sweetness of her lips, with Jolene responding quickly and demanding more as she nipped his bottom lip. Smiling at her impatience, Jax forced a surprised squeal out of her as he plundered her mouth with his tongue while heading towards the bathroom.

As he set her down on Gemma's new marble-topped vanity, Jolene broke away. "Close the door." She reminded him, breathlessly whispering into his ear.

Backing up, his intense blue eyes never leaving her face, Jax kicked the door shut. With her heart threatening to pound itself out of her chest, she beckoned him back her. Jolene worked her hands under his cut and hoodie and caressed his rock hard stomach, up to his chest. In spite of not leaving each other's side for the past three days, Jolene still needed to feel flesh-on-flesh in order to convince herself she wasn't dreaming.

"I can't get enough of you, Jo." Jax breathed heavily, her hands on his skin searing through him. She felt the same way, but before she could reply, his mouth was on hers again, kissing her hungrily.

Jolene moaned, feeling the wonderful and familiar weight of Jax's hands on her breasts as he squeezed them through the material of her tank top. She broke away from their kiss, wincing in delicious pain as Jax pinched her nipples, feeling for the piercings that decorated her beautiful tits.

"Ouch, Teller." She laughed, as he gently tugged on the titanium bars with a wicked grin. "Don't start anything we can't finish here." She warned.

Jax grabbed her face in his hands. "Oh, we're going to finish this alright. You got somewhere else you gotta be?" He asked, looking her straight in the eyes.

Jolene bit her lip and shook her head. _Damn, she wanted to die in his arms._ "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," Jax smiled. "'Cause we're gonna be here a while, darlin'." Getting back to the business at hand, he kissed her again, his hands stealthily unzipping her low-riding jeans.

Burying her hands in his hair as he nuzzled her neck, Jolene suddenly arched her back. "Oh God," She moaned as Jax invaded her moist core and gently rubbed her clit. Coaxing her to ride his fingers like she would his dick, Jax quickly brought Jolene to the edge of an orgasm. Looking into her face and seeing her eyes glaze over, he kissed her deeply as he felt her come against his hand.

"You like that, huh?" Jax asked against her mouth and Jolene nodded, too breathless to speak.

Slowly, Jax pushed her tank up and over her breasts, his thumbs playfully flicking the piercings in her taut nipples. Gently pushing her back, he trailed kisses from the side of her neck, down her throat and to her tits. Catching a bar with his teeth, he sucked her sensitive nipple into his mouth.

Jolene gasped, letting her hand slip past the waistband of his jeans. She giggled as Jax growled against her breast. With her hand currently dancing in his pants, Jax was having a hell of a time trying to link two thoughts together that didn't include him pounding her into the vanity.

"Shit," Jax cursed, leaning his forehead against Jolene's as she stroked the hot, silken flesh of his dick. "Fuck, darlin'!" He cursed again. Jolene was quickening her pace, and rolling her hand down his shaft and up over the head. Feeling his cock practically pulsating, she pulled her hand out and unzipped his jeans.

Unaware that he was holding his breath, Jax watched as she pulled his stiff cock out of his pants. Looking at him coyly, Jolene ran her tongue over her fingers before wrapping her hand around him again. Stroking him with one hand, she pulled him towards her with the other on the back of his neck, her tongue dancing over his lips before kissing him deeply. With a grunt, Jax suddenly yanked her off the vanity and, with her pants now around her ankles, he swung her around and roughly bent her over the counter.

Jolene gasped as Jax buried his face in her hair, groaning as he slipped inside her. She gripped the vanity with both hands as he balled his hands up in her hair and gently pulled her head back. He needed to watch her beautiful face in the mirror as he moved inside of her, slowly at first, his pace quickening with her every gasp and moan.

Jolene arched her back towards Jax and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh God, Jax," She moaned, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. "Harder, baby." She nearly begged.

Jax kissed the side of her face and neck as he pumped his hips, driving himself deeper and deeper. He was moaning incoherent obscenities, his whiskers tickling her ear as his hands traveled from her tits and roughly grabbed onto her hips.

Pounding into her, Jax groaned as he felt her muscles griping his cock. "Fuck," He growled, fighting for control. "Cum for me again, darlin." He nipped her ear.

Feeling her tremble in his arms, Jax watched her in the mirror as she obeyed his command, cumming with such force that she couldn't hold back the scream that tore itself from her throat. Falling onto her elbows against the vanity, Jolene braced herself as Jax continued pounding into her, groaning as he rode the crest of his own climax, collapsing against Jolene when he was done. He held her like this until they were both able to catch their breath.

Dropping a light kiss on her lips, Jax pulled out. "I can't feel my legs." He marveled.

Jolene turned towards Jax and smiled. "I don't think I've ever paralyzed you before. I hope that's a good thing." She teased.

Jax grabbed her face and kissed her, long and slow this time. "Good? You almost have me believing in God again, darlin'."

Jolene laughed as she set about the task of getting herself halfway decent again, making Jax a little sad as he watched her cover her breasts when she pulled down her tank. Grabbing the lapels of her flannel shirt, Jax yanked her towards him and started buttoning her up. Jolene gave him a quizzical look.

"You need to cover these puppies up, babe. I can see your piercings through your shirt. I'm sure Gemma would be royally pissed if any of her furniture got broken while I'm kicking somebody's ass for looking too hard." Jolene couldn't help but giggle at the dead seriousness on his face.

"Jax, most of these men have known me since I was six." She reminded him.

" _I've_ known you since you were six. What's your point, darlin'?"

Jolene shrugged her shoulders, trying to keep the smile of self-satisfaction off her face. "I just don't remember you as the jealous-type."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did we just meet? I'm Jax Teller, by the way, your old man, who will snap a prick in half for sharing the same air space with you." He teased, offering his hand for a shake, but Jolene slapped it away. He was being playful, but Jolene had not forgotten his stand-off with Hale yesterday outside Floyd's.

"I guess we haven't met. I'm Jolene Morrow. I've been your old lady since I was ten. _You_ just didn't know it." Jolene crossed her arms underneath her ample chest.

Rolling his eyes as he uncrossed her arms, Jax said, "See, don't do that. Every time you cross your arms, Tig's eyes bounce around the room and if they land on you, I'm gonna have to rearrange his insides by shoving my fist down his throat."

"Jesus!" Jolene exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Such violence."

"Men of Mayhem." Jax pointed to the patch underneath the one declaring him SAMCRO's VP. "They don't just give these out, darlin'. They're earned." Even though Jax knew in his heart that none of his brothers would cross the line with his old lady, not being able to lay into Hale had left him itching to throw a punch.

"Okay, I get it." Jolene reached up and dropped a kiss on his perfect lips. "I won't leave the house ever again without a bra."

"Thank you."

With Jolene cradled in his arms, they kissed each other for a long time, making out like they used to when she was a teenager. Barely breaking away, Jax buried his hand in her thick hair and softly kissed her face.

"I love you." He whispered, looking into her eyes lovingly before holding her tight against his body once again.

Jolene squeezed him back. "I love you more." She muffled against his chest. Jax smiled to himself. Being the one everyone called the prince paled in comparison because, at that moment, he was feeling like king of the world.

* * *

Leaning back on the couch in his mother's house and looking around the room packed with his brothers, their old ladies, and children, Jax sighed happily. It was so good to be home.

Even though it was almost 6:00, it was still bright outside and Jax thought it was as good a time as any to give Abel his surprise. Getting up from the couch in the living room, Jax went looking for his son and found him in Gemma's kitchen. The women of SAMCRO were getting ready to set out the desserts. Bobby had just placed his prized chocolate cake in the middle of the dining room table when Jax approached him.

"Hey, bro, did you bring what I asked for?"

Bobby smiled. "Yeah, it's with my bike. You ready?"

"Sure am." Walking over to Donna, who currently had Abel in her lap, Jax reached out and plucked him out of her arms. "Sorry, Donna, but I have something special for Little Man here, so I'm gonna need him for a minute. You wanna come with me, son?"

"Uh huh. Where we going?"

"Right outside."

As Jax carried his son towards the front doors, Donna got up. Looking at Gemma, who had one of Neeta's famous apple pies in her hands, Donna said, "I better get Jo. If this is what I think it is, she's going to need moral support."

Gemma, Donna, and Jolene walked out of the house to the driveway where they found Jax surrounded by his brothers. Jolene's heart was in her throat as she approached Jax, finally realizing what was going to happen.

"Oh, baby, it's too soon."

But it was too late. Jax, perched on his Dyna-Glide, had Abel in his lap. In his hands was a gift bag that Bobby had just handed to him. Dropping a light kiss on the tip of her nose, Jax smiled. "Don't worry, darlin'. He's gonna be just fine." Turning his attention back to Abel, Jax said, "Go on, Little Man. Pull it out."

Abel eagerly reached into the bag, throwing the tissue paper on the ground and pulled out a toddler-sized biker helmet with the words "Little Man" stenciled on the front.

Gemma, who was standing with Clay's arms wrapped around her, felt her heart melt when she saw her grandson's reaction.

"It's mine? You gonna take me for a ride?" Abel yelped happily.

"That's right." Jax buckled the little helmet on Abel's head and then reached into the bag and pulled out a little denim vest, with matching elbow and knee pads.

Donna did everything she could to bolster a sagging Jolene. "Don't worry, Jo, he'll be all right. I lived through it when Kenny was four. You'll live through it, too."

"But D, he's so little." Jolene said anxiously.

"Relax. You know Jax will take care of him."

Now outfitted to the nines in the latest biker gear for toddlers, Abel was the spitting image of his father.

"Ah, Jackie Boy. You betta watch out. This one'll be a Prospect in no time and will probably patch in before ol' Sack here." Chibs teased his hapless Prospect, who, by the look on his face, didn't think Chibs was kidding.

"Yeah, and if he's anything like his old man, by the time he's twelve he'll be hip deep in pus—" Tig started and, noting Jolene's glacial stare, suddenly stopped. "Girls. I was gonna say girls." He threw his hands up.

"Ain't that the truth." Clay laughed. "It's in his blood, baby girl. You can't fight destiny." Nervous enough to throw up, Jolene couldn't help but smile at her father's choice of words. She was a great believer in destiny.

"All right, son. You ready?" Jax revved the engine.

"I'm ready. Let's go!" Abel shouted.

As Jax pulled out of the driveway, all of his brothers let out a roar of approval as a new generation of Teller men sped down the street.


	7. The Trouble with Women and a Pig

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy** **.**

* * *

Jax pulled into the T-M lot a happy man. His first weekend home had been more amazing than any scenario he had imagined during his last six months in Chino. Having spent the bulk of it with his new family, it was like a slice of paradise to wake up with the love of his life cradled in his arms and to have Abel run into their room each morning to jump on their bed.

Abel simply amazed Jax. His son was by no means perfect, but he was a good-natured little boy, despite all of the trials he had endured in his young life. He could be a little demanding and there had been times during the weekend where he was most certainly his mother's son. Abel was extremely possessive of Jolene, just one of the many traits he shared with his father, but Jax had quickly moved to establish his authority over his son. Although at times he would see Abel looking at him with a curious expression on his face, Abel was quick to realize that his daddy was a force to be reckoned with.

After parking his bike in its usual spot, Jax strolled towards the Clubhouse. Although Church was traditionally in session on Friday evenings, impromptu meetings were held during the week as well on an as-needed basis. But today's Church session was special as it would be the first meeting that Opie and Jax had been able to attend in over fourteen months, with Jax being officially reinstated as SAMCRO's VP.

Spotting Piney at the bar, Jax shook his head as he looked at the time on his pre-pay before shoving it back into his pocket. Piney had one of Bobby's blueberry muffins in one hand and a shot glass in the other, as Opie tried in vain to keep the bottle of Patron out of his father's reach.

"Son, you are the glorious product of my wayward sperm, but if you reach for that bottle again, I'll kill you and make me another one." Piney growled.

Slapping a hand on Piney's back, Jax grinned at his former drinking buddy. "Hey, old man, why are you trying to kill yourself at 9:00 in the morning?"

"Maybe because you young runts are back and my peaceful days at this bar are officially over." Piney shot back. Swinging around on his bar stool, Piney faced Jax.

 _The young Turk looks so much like his father_ , Piney thought proudly.

Looking at Jax and Opie standing side-by-side, Piney felt as he was looking at himself and J.T. so many years ago. Young and fit and having escaped the hell of war in Vietnam, they had come together to become the co-founders of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original. Seeing his two brothers back in the fold, so to speak, moved Piney.

 _Here is the future of the Club_ , he thought, a _nd I know it will be a good one_.

Leaving all the sentimental bullshit behind, Piney grimaced. "Get your asses in the Chapel. We've been waiting on you."

* * *

Church had been in session for almost an hour. After sharing their experiences with their brothers about their lives on the inside, it had taken time to bring Jax and Opie up to speed on fourteen months of Club business since they had last sat around the Redwood table.

Business had been good while SAMCRO's two youngest Sons had been in the joint. The gun business continued to run at a steady pace and, with the exception of the Niner-Mayan beef that Opie and Jax had run into that landed them in Chino, things had continued to run smoothly and, above all, peacefully while they had been away.

However, it hadn't been so quiet for Bobby Elvis. Because Jax was only in for a short time and the Club couldn't operate without a VP, Bobby had been appointed as Acting VP in Jax's absence, in accordance with the by-laws of the Club.

Bobby, who still had his duties as Club Secretary to attend to, had been kept pretty busy, so Happy, who had been looking to make the jump to a charter closer to his mother, was brought in to help tackle some of Jax's duties. With Otto asking the Club to assume running Cara Cara Productions after Luann's passing, providing SAMCRO another opportunity to earn legitimately, Clay had tapped Bobby to handle the books and assist Jolene with the day-to-day running of the porn studio.

Bobby was glad that Jax was back. Not only had he missed his brother and friend, but maybe now he could get rid of the extraneous shit keeping him super busy as Jax re-assumed duties as VP. Something had to give and working at Cara Cara was a plumb assignment that Bobby had no intention of giving up.

"So, are you ready to get back in the saddle, brutha?" Chibs asked, flicking the ashes from his cigarette into the ashtray before him.

"Ready and willing, bro." Jax replied emphatically.

"Well, then, here's a little something I hope will provide you with a further incentive to get cracking." Clay said as he pulled out two thick envelopes from the inside pocket of his cut. Tossing one each to Jax and Opie, Clay smiled. "Now, don't spend it all on hookers and beer."

Opie grinned as he thumbed through the huge wad of combat pay in his envelope. "I certainly won't, brother."

Jax saw the thick wad of hundred dollar bills and smiled. It felt good to be able to earn again. While Jax was less of a chauvinist than the majority of his brothers when it came to his old lady, Jax was still all about being the man of the house. Although he was extremely proud of Jolene for taking care of herself and their son without help from anyone, Jax felt that now it was time for him to take the reins in providing for his family. The first item on his agenda was buying them a new house. While the home that Jolene had provided for them was wonderful, it was a rental and Jax strongly felt that it was his responsibility to provide a permanent home for his loved ones. After all, considering the current circumstances surrounding their first home, Jax felt the overwhelming need to make that wrong right.

Jolene had been pretty vocal on the subject of his soon to be ex-wife, who was currently living in the home that he had bought for them almost seven years ago. Jax winced as he thought about the look on Jolene's face when she described how hurt she had been that he had brought that crank whore into their home.

Not that it would ever be a consolation to Jolene, but Jax was somewhat comforted by the fact that Wendy had been the only whore to cross that threshold. Bringing women into the home that Jolene had lovingly created for him was something he just couldn't bring himself to do, so he would bang them at the Clubhouse and kick them out of his bed on the regular. Having those women in his home would be a constant reminder of all that he had lost. The thought of looking over in his bed and seeing some nameless, faceless whore, instead of the woman he had loved sickened him.

When he had married Wendy, bringing her into the house was the hardest thing he had ever done, but because of the pregnancy, he felt a responsibility to provide a place for her and the baby, but even then he had not crossed the line. Instead of letting Wendy use the master bedroom that he and Jolene had shared, he had the room sealed shut and insisted that Wendy restrict herself to one of the two bedrooms that remained in the house. During the month they had been married before his arrest, he spent most of his time at his dorm and when he had been in the house—the house that had quickly turned into an unimaginable pigsty—he had slept in the smallest guest room alone.

Now that Jolene was back in his life, he was determined to give her and his son the best that he could provide and, in order to do that, he first had to cut ties with the woman he should have never married in the first place. Jax made a mental note to contact his attorney and check on the status of his divorce. He was itching for it to be over ASAP, so he could finally give Jolene her ring back.

Jax was glad that he had kept the custom-made engagement ring that Jolene had returned to him before she left town. There had been times when he had wanted to throw it away. All it did was serve as a constant reminder of all that he had lost, so he had tucked it away in a drawer at the dorm and kept it out of sight.

 _Soon_ , he made a silent promise to Jolene.

Soon he would be able to put it on her finger and ask her to marry him again, making the last four years seem like just a horrible dream.

* * *

Walking out of the Chapel, Jax was pleasantly surprised to see his old lady sitting at the bar and apparently keeping the new Prospect company.

"Hey, darlin'." From behind, Jax wrapped his arms around Jolene's waist. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?" He dropped a kiss on the side of her neck, the sensation of which had her nipples quickly standing at attention.

Swinging around on the bar stool to face him, Jolene whispered wickedly, "Didn't you get the memo, baby? I'm the Boss and I get to do cool stuff like give myself the day off."

"Any reason in particular you gave yourself the day off?" Jax sank his hands into her hair and pulled her off the bar stool and up against his body as he brought his mouth down to hers.

Breaking away from their kiss, Jolene replied saucily, "Do you really have to ask?"

As he flashed her that wolfish grin she loved so much, Jolene braced herself as Jax bent over and scooped her up and over his shoulder. He was unabashedly heading towards the dorms when the rest of his brothers stepped out of the Chapel.

"Oh, Jesus Christ!" Clay called out. "You two have your own place, you know."

Jolene stopped Jax's progress down the hall by grabbing onto the doorjamb. "This is closer." She teased. "Uncle Elvis! You heading to the studio anytime soon?" She called out to Bobby.

"In a few." Bobby replied, stopping at the bar first for a beer, as Tig muttered something about him being a lucky bastard under his breath.

"Miss Diva was a no-show for her 7:00 call time. Please let me know when she finally drags her bony ass in."

"Speaking of asses," Jax grabbed Jolene's and squeezed as she let out a surprised yelp-slash-giggle. "Yours is calling my name, Jo, so let go of the wall."

Doing as she was told, Clay could hear Jolene squealing happily before the door to Jax's old dorm was slammed shut.

"I need a drink." Clay said sliding up to the bar and motioning to Half-Sack for his usual.

"What you need is to cut them some slack, Papa Bear." Bobby advised before taking a swig of his beer. "Those two have a helluva lot of catching up to do."

Clay knocked back his shot of Jack and slamming the glass onto the bar, motioned for Half-Sack to fill it up again. "I know." He replied, his tone soft-spoken and not condescending at all, which surprised the shit out of Bobby. Giving a wide-eyed Bobby the "WTF" look, Clay continued. "I know baby girl's happy to be home. She missed her family and is so proud to finally be able to introduce my grandson to his Reaper heritage, but there was something missing in her." Clay knocked back his second shot. "She's still a smartass, but that spark was gone. Not anymore. Not since I saw her ride onto the lot on the back of her old man's bike."

Bobby was nodding his head. If he had to guess, he'd say that his old friend had finally come to his senses.

 _Better late than never_.

"It has taken me a long time and a lot of tears," Clay started, but stopped, shooting daggers at the loitering Prospect before Half-Sack got the hint and high-tailed it from behind the bar, leaving Clay and Bobby alone. Turning back to Bobby, Clay continued. "A lot of shit had to hit the fan before I was able to see that those two really belong together. All I have to do to is look into the eyes of my beautiful grandson, my pride and joy, brother, and know that that baby boy was meant to be and there was only one way that could've happened."

Tig clapped Clay on the back of his cut. "Shit, if that's the case, man, judging by the noises coming from back there, you might be drowning in more of those meant-to-be rugrats sooner rather than later."

"You know, I might be alright with it, but I don't need a play-by-play." Clay turned to glare at his SAA. "Don't you have something you need to be doing?"

"Nah, not really." Tig shrugged his shoulders and settled onto the stool next to Clay.

Shaking his head, Clay turned his attention back to Bobby. "I'll tell you one thing, though. He better make things right for my little girl. Jax may be the father of her son, but as of right now, he's still married to that junkie skank and my daughter is no fucking croweater."

"Are you kidding me?" Bobby was incredulous. "It doesn't matter what some godforsaken piece of paper says. Kit is _nobody's_ croweater, especially not Jax's." He started. "Where have you been for the past four years, brother? Jax was living like he was grieving the love of his life, man. Neither time nor distance, and certainly not junkie pussy was ever going to change the fact that Jolene was, is, and will always be his old lady."

"I hope you're right, Bobby because he needs to do right by my daughter and grandson, and quick. Jax fucks up again, there are no more second chances. You know Jolene as well as I do."

"I totally agree, brother," Bobby replied. "But I hate to break it to ya. Nobody knows her better than Jax. He's gonna make shit right, but damn, Clay, he hasn't been out a full four days yet. I guarantee, as soon as the boy comes up for air, everything's gonna fall into place."

* * *

Jolene was sitting on the picnic table outside the Clubhouse waiting for her old man to wrap up a discussion he was having with Chibs and Juice over at the garage. Although Jax was eager to get back to Club business, with nothing urgent on the table needing his attention, he was taking a cue from his old lady and taking the day off. With Abel at Gemma's, this would be the most alone-time they'd get to enjoy since his private homecoming. For old time's sake, Jax was going to take Jolene up to the streams for some "target practice".

Lost in the raunch of memories past, Jolene was smiling to herself as she noticed the tow truck driven by Lowell enter the lot. He was hauling a white Beemer convertible and Jolene's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she got a look at the license plate. Jolene jumped off the picnic table as the tow truck came to a halt and out oozed Ima, wearing too much make-up and not enough clothes. Seeing Jax in deep conversation with his Club brothers as he leaned against the garage entrance, his back to the lot and cigarette in hand, Ima threw a glance over at Jolene. With what was definitely a smirk, Ima strutted over to the long line of parked bikes.

_What better way to get a biker's attention than by sitting on his ride?_

Dangerously close to suffering a seizure, Jolene took a deep breath to calm herself down as the little hussy perched herself on the back of her old man's bike. Having not realized that Ima had crashed Jax's homecoming party, Jolene decided she was going to give the poor, delusional slut the benefit of the doubt and assume she didn't know that that seat was already occupied. With her poker face firmly in place, Jolene shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket and strutted over towards Ima.

Ima knew what she was quite possibly in for and was prepared. She wasn't giving up a claim on Jax Teller without a fight. Throwing on her Prada sunglasses, Ima apprised Jolene from behind her shades. Now that her old man was back, gone were the conservative skirts and button-down shirts. Jolene made quite an impression in her skin-tight dark wash jeans and high-heeled biker boots, the cropped leather jacket she wore doing nothing to conceal her assets stuffed into a fitted tee with a deep U-shaped neckline.

 _The bitch is definitely bringing her A-game_ , Ima thought bitterly.

Noticing Ima sitting on Jax's bike and instantly recognizing the look of a warrior about to enter a battlefield on an approaching Jolene's face, Chibs pushed his sunglasses up to his forehead. "Brutha, you have a situation brewing." He motioned towards the lot.

Turning around, Jax first saw the strange woman sitting on the back of his bike, then out of his periphery, he saw his old lady striding confidently towards the scantily-clad woman with murder in her eyes.

"Aw shit!" Jax threw his cigarette down and hot-footed it out of the garage towards Jolene.

Jolene was already waving him away. "I can handle this, Jax."

"There's nothing to handle, darlin'. I have no clue why she's sitting on my bike, so just let me get rid of her."

Jolene smiled to herself. Uncle Elvis was right. She could tell by looking into his eyes that Jax had no idea who Ima was, totally forgetting that he had been tapping the slut before going to Chino. As far as her old man was concerned, Ima was just another faceless, nameless whore, but this pissing contest had gone on for too long as far as Jolene was concerned. Big Otto was counting on her to preserve Luann's legacy and reputation in an industry that was, for the most part, male-dominated. She couldn't let him down by allowing some 90 lb. skank to compromise everything Luann had worked for.

"That's the cum diva that has halted production _yet again_ because she was a no-show this morning. I just wanna talk to her about making an effort to be more responsible." Jolene said evenly.

_What I really wanna do is to just get close enough to yank her skanky, bony ass off my man's bike._

"Darlin', you're not fooling anyone." Jax smiled as he cupped her face and dropped a kiss on her lips, hoping to wipe away the pissy look she was sporting. "I know that look and that's not your 'let's-talk-this-shit-out' look."

Yeah, he could always call her bluff. Jolene smiled sheepishly as she pulled him down for another kiss only to be interrupted by Ima calling for Jax's attention.

Turning to face her, Jax didn't mince words. "You need to get off my bike right now."

Knowing better than to disobey a cranky biker, Ima climbed off the bike, forcing Jolene to cringe as she could see that Ima wasn't wearing underwear underneath her micro-mini.

_Ewww! What the fuck, you nasty slut?_

"My car broke down, Jax. I need a ride and I was hoping you could give it to me." Ima knowingly bit her lip.

Before Jax could respond, Jolene stepped forward, but Jax pulled her back. "The office is right over there. Go call yourself a cab."

"If I wanted a cab, guess what, sweetie, I would have called for one." Ima replied snidely, one hand on her hip and the other waving her cell phone at Jolene. "I want Jax."

Preparing himself to run interference, Jax was surprised when Jolene calmly put her hand on his chest, right underneath his mother charter patch, and looked up into his eyes. "You know I love you, Jax. I respect you as my old man and as a patch," Her voice was almost a low, sexy growl. "But you need to move out of my way like right now."

Looking into the storm brewing in her eyes, Jax tried with all his might to suppress a smirk. Shit, she was about to go bat-shit crazy on the porn pussy and all he could think about was how hot a pissed off Jolene really was. Normally, old lady business was old lady business, but suffering a moment of clarity, Jax suddenly put a name to the face.

 _Ima_. _Fuck!_

Jax had truly hit rock bottom the last few months before going inside. He remembered Ima as the pushy bitch that scared and bullied all the croweaters and sweetbutts away. Every time he turned around, there she was. Eventually, she even managed to push Wendy away, too. At that point, one pussy was interchangeable with another and he hadn't given a shit. But that Jax was long gone, chased away by the beautiful woman standing before him, the mother of his son. He wasn't going to let Jolene get disrespected again and, this time, he would most certainly kill anyone that chased his old lady away.

"I didn't come here to talk to you, sweetie." Ima strutted over to the pair and, placing her hand on Jolene's shoulder, unceremoniously pushed her out of the way.

Given an opportunity to react, Jax would have grabbed Ima by the arm and escorted her off the lot himself, but his old lady had the reflexes of a cat. Before actually getting the chance to recover from getting pushed aside, Jolene quickly turned on Ima and snagged a fistful of long blonde hair. Twisting until it was wrapped around her hand like a rope, Jolene yanked and brought Ima slamming down to her knees onto the blacktop. Noting she had Ima in the perfect position, Jolene instinctively raised her other fist, but stopped herself—and just barely, too—from punching her in the face.

"I gave you a fair warning once about my parking spot, bitch, and only because we were on studio property." Jolene pulled Ima's head back further so that the girl had no choice but to look her in the face, her eyes wide and frightened. "Now we're on my turf. I will not hesitate to fuck up the whore that dares to disrespects me in my home. Step up to my man again and you will live to regret the day your daddy taught you how to suck a dick."

Jax, struck speechless and, if he was honest, a little turned on, watched as Jolene pulled Ima back onto her platforms, her knees bloodied and her legs shaky.

 _If she's smart, porn pussy just learned the hard way to be very afraid of my old lady_.

"Now, call yourself a cab and get your ass down to Cara Cara." Jolene pushed Ima hard enough for the girl to stumble. "We wrap in two days and you will not be the reason we fall behind schedule."

Jax ran his hand over the hair on his chin in an effort to hide the self-satisfied leer he was in danger of flashing at Jolene. "Babe, that was hot _and_ a little harsh. I think you spooked her."

Jolene was glaring after Ima as she headed towards the front gate. Turning to Jax, she shook her head. "Something tells me she's too stupid to get it. She's gonna try again, so fair warning, baby, you better have some bail money on hand and a good lawyer for me on retainer."

Smiling, Jax grabbed the badass thug disguised as his hot as hell old lady by the hand and pulled her into his arms.

Something told Jax she wasn't kidding.

* * *

For some reason, Jolene had imagined that her old man's first week back home would have been a tad less hectic. And for the most part, it was. Jax was easing his way back into his VP duties, but with no runs or shipments currently on tap, he was usually the one waiting around Cara Cara for Jolene to wrap up her day before they went to pick Abel up from Gemma's. Last night had been truly hectic for Jolene as she hadn't left the studio until two o'clock in the morning. Determined to wrap Ima's latest epic before the end of the week, Jolene had kept everyone working until Dondo had called out the final "Cut!" And that included the Diva herself, who although not happy that Jolene was making her work late, beamed with pride as Dondo proclaimed her latest film her best work ever.

Fighting the urge to barf the entire drive home, Jolene practically dragged her ass through the front door. Jax had picked up their son from Grandma's early in the evening and, after his pre-bedtime bath and story time, had tucked Abel into his bed. Her baby was sleeping like an angel as Jax waited up for her while watching TV. Collapsing onto her old man, who was laying on the couch in the family room, she finally broke down and confessed how much she really hated working at Cara Cara.

While Big Otto had been truly generous in setting up her compensation package, it had taken Jolene six months to figure out just how miserable she was there. Although she had been smart with her money and had a neat little savings account set up, Jolene didn't want it to come across like, now that Jax was back and earning, she could lean on him for financial support. Jolene wanted to take some time off, be a real old lady for once, and focus entirely on her family. Eventually, she was sure, she'd find something to do that not only earned money, but gave her personal satisfaction and a reason to be proud. More importantly, Jolene wanted to do something that didn't involve the expulsion of bodily fluids or learning to interact with dirty whores without wrapping her hands around their necks and squeezing the life out of them.

With her head cradled on his bare chest, Jax was grateful she couldn't see his face because he was smiling like a fool. As supportive as he had tried to be when he heard about Otto's job offer, Jax had not been happy at all. As a matter of fact, much like Clay, Jax had been a little offended that Big Otto would even suggest such a thing to his old lady, but he understood where his brother had been coming from. Not only had he wanted to help Jolene out, making her re-entry into life in Charming easier by giving her financial stability, Big Otto had wanted someone he could trust blindly to protect Luann's legacy until someone permanent could be installed.

How could he put into words that nothing would make him happier than to have her stay at home with their son? Having missed her for so long, Jax had finally come to accept that he was never going to have her in his life again. Now that she was back, if he could, he'd keep her by his side 24/7. With his divorce soon to be finalized, Jax could finally make her his wife and maybe knock her up a couple of more times. Jax would do whatever it would take to make sure she got the personal satisfaction someone as independent as Jolene Morrow needed to happily exist. He just hoped she'd realize that personal satisfaction could also be found in being a wife and mother.

Although he had to be honest with her and told her he was all for her quitting Cara Cara, he also promised that he would support any decision she ultimately made. Sighing contentedly, it didn't take long for an exhausted Jolene to pass out as Jax lovingly rubbed her back, and that's exactly where Abel found them in the morning.

Now, it was Friday night and the first official after-Church party since Jax and Opie's release was blazing at full blast. Even though she had been aching to go home and soak in her massive tub, Jolene was pulling into the T-M lot instead. She wanted to be there for Jax, but she had seen Abel almost only in passing this entire week and she missed her baby. After the Ima incident earlier in the week, however, Jolene had heeded Gemma's advice about not letting her old man go solo at any Club function until it was ingrained in every slut's database that she was there to stay. She was here for him, but Jolene had warned Jax to be prepared to have his ass hauled home before Abel's bedtime.

And Jax couldn't wait.

As SAMCRO's VP, part of his duties included fostering camaraderie with his brothers, including members visiting from other charters. Jax had always enjoyed socializing, but the mission behind it was to keep connected with the other charters, letting them know that even though SAMCRO was the smallest charter in the MC, they were still very much in control. Sometimes, situations popped up that the mother charter would only become aware of after one brother or another had had too much to drink and dropped the dime. Even though situations of outright disobedience of the Club's by-laws was a rarity, there had been those that had been bold enough to challenge mandates that regulated the entire MC and which had originated at the head of SAMCRO's Reaper table. Keeping himself in the loop had allowed Jax to quash those situations before they got out of control. SAMCRO had learned a hard lesson thanks to Kyle Hobart and because they had, Kyle had been the last member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club to get patched out.

But now, after being so recently released from prison, all Jax wanted was to spend as much time with his family as possible. He was anxious to get home to see his son, whom he had not seen since breakfast that morning and, more than likely, would already be in bed and fast asleep by the time he and Jo got home. Nonetheless, he couldn't wait to lay eyes on him.

Although she was tired, Jolene perked up and practically skipped across the parking lot as she spotted a beaming Jax waiting for her outside the Clubhouse. He had been deep in thought, leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette when he caught sight of her. Almost taken by surprise at seeing her there, he was smiling uncontrollably as she bounced into his arms, their mouths instantly welding themselves together.

"Missed me?" Jolene giggled as Jax moved on to nuzzling her neck.

"You know it." He muffled against her skin before pulling his head up to look her in the eyes. "Missed putting our bed to good use last night, too."

"That will not be an issue tonight, I promise." Jolene smiled.

"Good. Let's go." Jax grabbed her hand and started towards his bike. "You can leave your car."

"Hey, Jackie Boy!" Chibs called out from the Clubhouse door, stopping Jax in his tracks. "Clay wants a quick word with ya!"

"Of course he does." Jax said to Jolene, who shrugged her shoulders.

"Did you forget he's the Champion Cock-Blocker of NorCal?"

"Nah, but I was hoping he had relinquished the title to our son. Now it just looks like they're working as a team." Jax kidded, recalling the times they have had to put their adult games on hold as Abel cried for his mother's attention. Leading Jolene into the Clubhouse, Jax dropped her off at the couch with Gemma, giving her a quick kiss before heading into the Chapel with Clay, Bobby, and Chibs.

"What's going on?" Jolene nudged her head towards the closed Chapel doors.

"Don't get your panties in a wad, but I think the Club's gonna need Jax to step into the ring again." Gemma replied, flicking ashes of her "medicinal" cigarette into the ashtray on the armrest of the couch before offering it Jolene. Jolene considered passing, but realizing where the conversation was headed, took it from Gemma and puffed away.

"He's been home a week, Gemma." Jolene started.

Gemma nodded her head sympathetically, after all, it was her flesh and blood being sent into bare-knuckled and bloody battle. "I know, sweetheart, but he's young and healthy and he put his time in Chino to good use by bulking up. He is at his peak right now."

"Oh, yes he is." Jolene said dreamily and in danger of drooling.

Jax had always had a beautiful body, but he had changed so much in the last four years and, from what Jolene could tell, had gained at least 10 lbs. in muscle mass. He had once been sinewy and chiseled, but now he was a solid wall of muscle.

_Oh. My. God._

She was making herself hot just thinking about his thick, manly arms and washboard abs cut into his flat stomach. So much so that Gemma had to nudge her in the ribs to get her attention before snatching her joint back.

"Don't overheat yourself now. There's no telling how long they'll be in there." She teased and, for the first time in a long time, Jolene blushed.

"Overheat, my ass. I'm making myself wet." She said before she could stop herself. Clapping her hand over her mouth, Jolene fell against Gemma as they both laughed bawdily.

"I know I've said it before," Jax said to Clay as they stepped out the Chapel and approached the couch. "But it usually means trouble when two broads are whispering and laughing in a corner."

"You have no idea." Gemma smiled. "You have your hands full with this one."

"Oh I have plenty of ideas," Jax pulled Jolene onto her feet. "That's why it's time to go, babe."

 _Finally_.

Jolene was just as anxious to get home as he was. Quickly hopping onto her feet, Jolene reached for her dad to give him a kiss goodnight when she heard a loud voice rise over and above the noise of the Clubhouse.

"Jax, I want this bitch out of my sight!" Wendy snarled, looking straight at Jolene, with her hands squarely on her hips.

And for the first time in almost fourteen months, Jax saw his soon to be ex-wife.

Wendy Case, dressed in skin tight jeans and a revealing halter top, stood next to the bar. She had been pretty scarce around the Clubhouse since Jax's return to Charming, but it was obvious to anyone with eyes in their heads that Wendy was back with a vengeance and currently as high as a kite.

"Hey, hey!" Clay bellowed. "What the fuck is this? In my Clubhouse, you will show my daughter a little respect."

Angrily crossing the room, Jax grabbed Wendy's arm and pulled her towards the door. "Let's go."

Standing her ground with her arms crossed, Jolene shook her head as she looked at Wendy like she was the most pathetic piece of human waste to ever walk on two legs. "Sticks and stones, sweetheart. I've been called far worse by way better."

"What about whore?" Wendy pulled herself out of Jax's grasp and lunged at Jolene. "Anybody ever call you that, you fucking whore!"

"Croweaters don't get to call me a whore!" Jolene growled. Ima she warned. Wendy she was going to fuck up. Jolene barreled towards Wendy, only to be stopped by Happy, who grabbed her by the waist and practically hoisted her up in the air and away from Wendy.

"Stop this shit now!" Clay yelled at Jax. Trying to contain his shit because he was tempted to drag Wendy out of the Clubhouse by her hair, Jax was practically pushing Wendy out of the door.

"And I don't want her stepping foot inside the Clubhouse again!" Clay called out.

"What?" Wendy came to a sudden halt at the door.

"Just go!" Jax ground out through clenched teeth, nudging her towards the door. Once outside, Wendy turned on Jax.

"You're gonna let him ban me from the Clubhouse?" She was near hysterics. "I'm still your old lady." She pointed out, as if this fact was not painfully obvious to Jax himself.

Jax shook his head. "You were my greatest regret and biggest mistake, but you were never my old lady." He replied. "The papers have been filed and the divorce should be final in the next few weeks and this nightmare I've been living for the past four years will finally be over."

Wendy looked at Jax triumphantly. "Well, that's where you're wrong, baby."

Jax's eyes narrowed on Wendy's, which were currently rolling around in her head. "What the hell does that mean?"

 _It's all over,_ Wendy thought bleakly. _I'm not going to get him back. Fuck, I never had him, but I'm sure as hell not leaving the party empty-handed._

"We signed the papers, Jax," Wendy put her hand on a cocked hip. "But I never filed them."

Standing outside in front of the Clubhouse entrance, Jax's heart constricted in his chest. "What?"

Wendy threw her head up high. "I didn't send them back to your lawyer to file them."

Wendy shivered as she saw Jax's nostrils flare as he glared at her. With his fists clenching open and closed, she knew in his mind he was beating the shit out of her. "I only told you I did to give you a little peace of mind while you were in Chino. I thought that once you got out we could talk, find a way to become a real couple. But now, with your whore and her bastard on the scene, it's obvious that you're not interested in working on our marriage."

With her reaction time thrown off by the amount of meth she had smoked before coming to the Clubhouse, all Wendy could do was flinch as Jax roughly grabbed her by her bare shoulders and shook her hard enough to rattle her teeth. "This shit right here is between you and me. You bring my old lady and my son into this again and I will snap your fucking neck. Are we clear?"

Looking over Jax's shoulder and seeing a multitude of eyes focused on them, the party all but coming to a screeching halt, Wendy became emboldened. Flipping her hair back, Wendy stared in to Jax's cold eyes. "We're clear," She smirked as she shook herself free from Jax's hold. "But the bottom line remains, sweetheart, that _I_ am your wife and the price for getting out this marriage just went up. You're either gonna have to make it worth my while or you're gonna have to follow through on your threat to snap my neck. Any way you look at it, you're gonna end up paying a huge price."

* * *

Thanking Neeta for watching Abel, Jax walked her to her car and returned to the townhouse. After checking in on a sleeping Abel, Jax walked back downstairs and into the living room.

In all his 29 years, he had never once laid a hand on a woman in anger, but tonight, had there not been so many damn witnesses on the lot, Jax knew he would have broken his own self-made rule. He had been close to beating the will to live out of Wendy Case and he hated her even more for almost bringing him to that level. He held back even though in the back of his mind he knew that doing so would probably negate the need for a divorce because, once he started, he would fucking beat her to death.

Jolene was still sitting the couch with her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands, just how he had left her before escorting Neeta out. He did note, however, that there was now an open and half-empty bottle of tequila on the coffee table that hadn't been there before. Jax noticed that her breathing was fast and uneven and then it dawned on him that she was crying.

"Baby," Jax started, causing Jolene to flinch at the sound of his voice.

Sitting up straight, she almost looked surprised to find him standing there. Looking embarrassed at having been caught crying, Jolene angrily wiped her tears away and then reached for the tequila.

"Jo, stop." Jax went to pull the bottle out of her hand and was slammed with a pair of stormy and angry green eyes.

"Don't." Jolene warned. "Touch me."

Jax was looking at her with wide eyes and a clenched jaw. There was no way in hell he was going to let her shut him out again. Jolene had remained calm on the ride home. Even when Jax had shared Wendy's ball-breaking news with her, Gemma, and Clay, she remained cool and collected in front of his brothers, as well as the crowd on the T-M lot. She had calmly climbed onto the back of his bike, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist before he pealed out of the lot.

Now, in the privacy of their home, before Jax could open his mouth to speak again, Jolene finally cut loose.

"How could you let this happen?" Jolene demanded. Slamming the bottle on the glass coffee table, Jolene rose to her feet prepared to fight.

"Jo, I had no idea she had pulled some shit like this. I trusted that she had filed the papers." Jax shook his head grimly.

"I would say that trusting that junkie croweater was your first mistake, but we all know that's not the case, don't we?" Jolene said sarcastically.

Yeah, he had it coming, so Jax braced himself for her anger, which was completely justifiable as far as he was concerned. She could rage at him, kick, scream, pull his hair. Shit, she could throw things at him if it made her feel better, but the one thing he wasn't going to let her do was leave.

"I've called my piece of shit lawyer every day this week, darlin'," Jax shook his head. "Now I know why the asshole's been been ducking my calls like he owes me child support."

"You promised me, Jax." Jolene said soft enough that if Jax had not been so focused on the pain on her beautiful face, he never would have heard her. "You promised me that she was as good as gone as soon as you got out."

"I know." Jax replied, feeling like a piece of shit.

"How the fuck did that junkie whore get the upper hand over a seasoned outlaw biker like you, Jax? How does that happen, huh? Did you even want a divorce?" She accused.

"Don't finish that thought, Jo." Jax warned.

"Why? Did I hit a nerve? Have you been feeding me bullshit for the past six months, Jax? Because I can't understand how the FUCK YOU DID NOT KNOW BEFORE TONIGHT!"

"You need to calm down, darlin'."

"Or what? _You_ need to finish that thought. What, you're gonna do to me what you didn't have the balls to do to Wendy?"

Jax ran his hands through his closely cropped hair before rubbing his face in an attempt to clear his head. He had to keep reminding himself that she had every right to tear into him because, right now, all he wanted to do was scream into her face that it was all _her_ fault for leaving him in the first place!

Not getting the response she expected and wanted, Jolene prepared herself to stomp past Jax and upstairs, but predictably, he stopped her by blocking her path. Thinking there was no way she could possible hate him more than she did right now, Jax decided to bite the bullet and give Jolene full disclosure.

"You need to calm down," Jax started grimly. "Because there's more."

Throwing her head back, Jolene ran her hands through her hair before angrily grabbing fistfuls and yanking. "What more can there possibly be?" She raged. Wasn't it enough that six months had already been squandered and God only knew how many more it was going to take before they could finally be free of Wendy once and for all?

"She wants to renegotiate the terms of the settlement." At Jolene's shocked glare, Jax winced.

"Settlement?" Jolene shot back. "You were married for all of _one month_ before you went inside and you agreed to give the bitch a settlement?"

Jax tried to explain his reasoning, but as he did, he realized that he was just making things worse. "I felt guilty, Jo. I had basically used her. After I sobered up, I realized what a dick I had been and I felt like I owed her something." As soon as the words left his mouth, Jax knew he had put his foot in it.

"Owed her? After everything she's done to humiliate me, and now your son, _you owed her_?" Underneath her blazing anger, Jax could see how hurt she actually was. "Just spit it out. Aside from my old man, what the hell does she want now, Jax?"

Jax rubbed his face again and then looked into Jolene's stormy green eyes. "Before she'll file the papers, she wants an upfront cash settlement of $50k," As Jolene's eyes widened in shock, Jax continued. "Plus $3,000 a month in alimony for two years and . . ."

"And what?" Jolene demanded, dangerously close to stamping her foot.

"The house." Feeling her legs about to buckle, Jolene found her way to the couch and let herself fall on her ass. "And if it means getting rid of her, I think I'm going to do it."

"You do that and I will burn it to the fucking ground." Jolene leapt off the couch in a single bound.

"You said you didn't want the house, Jo." He said, exasperated.

"You gave that slut your name, the one thing that you denied me, Jax, the so-called love of your life. You are NOT going to compound this horrific error in judgment by giving her my house, too. That piece of shit disrespected me in front of my whole family tonight. You give her my house, that means she won't be going anywhere anytime soon and will be a part of our foreseeable future together for a long time and _I'm not having it_. I don't care what you have to do, but you will make this right, Jackson," Jolene said as she pushed past him and stomped her way upstairs. "But you better do it quick."

* * *

Sitting at the Redwood table with Clay going over schedules and logistics for upcoming shipments from the Irish both into Oakland and Vancouver, Jax lit the last cigarette in his pack. Clay quirked an eyebrow at him. Something was up or Jax wouldn't be trying to kill himself one cigarette at a time, one right after another. He could be wrong, but Clay could have sworn that was a new pack Jax had opened when they had first sat down at the table almost three hours ago.

Noticing the look his stepfather was flashing him, Jax broke down and came clean. He needed to talk it out with someone. "Clay, I am really in the shit with Jolene." Jax looked at the man that he hoped one day to be able to call his father-in-law. "Just when I thought things were finally going right, it all blows up. I'd be surprised if you weren't a little happy about it."

Clay looked at Jax with hooded eyes. "Well, you'd be wrong son."

As Jax's met Clay's steely blue-eyed stare, he realized that he had been wrong. "My bad, bro."

Clay shook his head. "Well, it's not like I've ever given you a reason to feel otherwise."

Clay had been fighting Jax over his relationship with Jolene for so many years that it pretty much seemed like a habit. It had taken Clay a long time to come to grips with the fact that Jax and Jolene belonged together, just like chocolate and peanut butter. There was no one else for either of them and Clay knew he was mostly responsible for the events that had brought Wendy into their lives and he said as much to Jax.

"Son, you aren't the only guilty party here. I am just as responsible for where you are now." Clay sighed. "If I hadn't pushed you to send Jolene to San Diego, none of this would have happened. I want to do what I can to help you. I want my baby girl to be happy and she's not, not as long as that gash is still in Charming."

"I know." Jax replied. "I can get rid of her." Clay's eyebrows rose inquiringly. "Not like that." Jax chuckled, even though he was tempted, if he was honest with himself. "I can give into her demands and pay her off, but Jo will string me up by my balls. Wendy wants the house."

"Oh, shit." Clay could only imagine how that went down with Jolene. "If you do that, that junkie bitch will never leave Charming." Pointing his index finger at Jax, Clay demanded, "You have to get rid of her. I will not tolerate a repeat of the past."

"Neither will I." Jax retorted grimly. "My lazy piece of shit lawyer is better off going into Wit Pro, if he's smart. We ever cross paths again, I'm gonna shoot him in the knees. I did talk to Rosen and I think there's another play I can make, one that will get rid of Wendy fast, without giving into her demands. But if that turns out to be a no-go, I will buy her off, no matter how much it costs."

"Don't worry about the cost, brother." Clay advised. "I'll front the bill." At Jax's surprised look, Clay said, "This is about the happiness of my daughter and my grandson. Anything you need, you got." Clay reached over to grip Jax's shoulder. "Anything." He repeated.

"Thanks. Clay."

* * *

 _What a difference a week makes_ , Jax thought bitterly.

A week ago today, Jax had felt bullet-proof, almost like Superman as he enjoyed the best Saturday of his life. Today, his old lady had left the house for work as soon as she finished making what he had quickly learned was Abel's favorite Saturday morning breakfast treat, pancakes. Before she slipped out of the house, Jax had tried pulling her aside to gauge how she was dealing with the Wendy bomb after sleeping on it, but Jolene had wiggled out of his embrace. She insisted that she was too preoccupied with getting a rough cut to the studio's editor before tonight's wrap party and refused to let the crank whore distract her from what she needed to get done.

"Man, I can't believe I'm doing this." Opie sighed as he parked his bike in the almost-filled to capacity parking lot of Cara Cara Productions. "Can you please remind me again why I'm doing this?"

Jax gave his friend a weird, sideways look. "Bro, we're here to show support for my old lady, a'ight? She's had a pretty rough week and worked real hard to make sure the studio kept to its deadlines. 'Sides, this may be her last wrap party."

"Just as long as Donna doesn't find out," Opie said. "I've been banned from hanging out here. She'll have my ass in a sling if she finds out."

"I'm sorry, bro," Jax started, his face deadpan serious. "I didn't know your old lady was wearing your balls today." He smirked.

Opie looked at Jax with a raised eyebrow. "Ha! This from the man whose old lady handed him his package gift wrapped last night." He shot back.

Rolling his eyes, Jax turned to see Chibs, Happy, and Juice practically falling off their bikes as they collectively busted a gut laughing. Turning back to Opie, he said, "Remind _me_ again why I share anything with you."

"Ahh, brutha," Chibs started. "It's not like it's a secret. We all know there's only one dame on the planet that can get away with shit like that. And you chose well." He patted Jax on the shoulder of his cut, indicating the front entrance to the studio.

Looking over, Jax spotted Jolene and his heart nearly stopped. She was wearing a mid-thigh length gold sequined dress with cut-out shoulders and matching strappy high heels. The exposed skin of her legs and thighs was luminescent and tan. With her long, cork-screw curls pulled back away from her tastefully made-up face, the ebony cascade fell down her back. She looked beautiful and regal, definitely too good for a place like Cara Cara.

 _And definitely way too good for me_.

Jax shook his head slightly, forgetting for the moment that Chibs was still standing there with his hand on his shoulder. "Nah, I'm lucky she chose me." He breathed, taken by surprise when Chibs clapped him on the back again.

"Damn straight, brutha. Lil luvvie knew a good thing when she saw it, even back then." Chibs smiled at his VP and friend before heading towards the plethora of pussy and booze up for grabs within the walls of Cara Cara, followed closely by Happy and an overly-eager Juice.

Spotting her old man's usual entourage making their way to the entrance, Jolene sought out Jax, who was bringing up the rear with Opie, and beamed a mega-watt smile when they made eye contact. Surprised and grateful that she seemed to be over her anger over the Wendy situation, Jax smiled back.

"Hey, baby," She slipped into his embrace and let Jax kiss her like he was starving and she was a ham sandwich.

Barely pulling away, Jax cupped her face with one hand, the other resting dangerously low on her ass, and looked into her eyes. "We're good?"

"We're always good, baby." Jolene purred. "I'm sorry about last night. I was frustrated and exhausted and just needed to vent. You were an easy target and I was totally unfair. I know you're doing the best you can. It's not your fault that junkie whore is a sneaky, back-stabbing cunt, too."

Feeling relieved, Jax quirked an eyebrow at her and smiled. "You kiss your daddy with that mouth?"

Jolene laughed. "You of all people should not be surprised by what I can do with my mouth."

Jax flashed her a lecherous grin. "I might need you to remind me. How long do we have to hang around tonight?"

"As long as we want. The grands have Abel for the night and my office locks from the inside." Jolene waggled her eyebrows at him suggestively.

"Alrighty then," Jax wrapped his arm possessively around her waist and led her inside. "Sounds like my kind of party."

* * *

Ima wasn't happy. She was fuming when she should have been celebrating a milestone. As the current It-Girl of the porn industry, Ima Tite had just wrapped her 100th film of her two-year career. That was an average of eight films a month, which equaled a lot of money earned for Cara Cara Productions. She should have been the center of attention tonight, as she had been during every wrap party that she could remember when Luann was still alive. Luann was a has-been and had known better to step aside and let her talent shine. These wrap parties weren't just to celebrate the end of a shoot, but to give the talent the opportunity to interact with the movers and shakers in the industry, such as distributors, strip club and brothel owners, manufacturers of adult toys, and foreign business men with deep pockets and porn star fetishes willing to pay top dollar for "private parties." After all, behind the camera was where most of the big money was to be made.

But, instead of mingling and making connections with those that could further her career, Ima was sitting in a high-backed upholstered chair on one of the sets used during the filming of her latest movie, which was set in the 1960s. She had a sour look on her overly-made up face as she held her Champagne flute in her left hand, her arm draped over the armrest. Her glass seemed to magically re-fill itself and Ima kept drinking. By her estimate, she had managed to knock back at least a bottle and half all by herself.

The night was still young. And Jolene Morrow was still irking the shit out of her.

She had seen Jolene earlier, flitting around the studio with Bobby Elvis at her side, making sure to greet everyone and shake hands. She certainly had a knack for playing the gracious hostess. Most men—and some of the women—seemed mesmerized by her presence. Even Ima had to admit, albeit begrudgingly, that Jolene made the skin-tight dress, not the other way around. Ima had flirted with the idea of wearing gold tonight and was glad she decided to go with the sky blue mini-dress instead. Next to Jolene in the same hue, she would have looked washed out. Besides, the one-shoulder neckline emphasized what Ima believed to be her best assets, her tits. Fighting the urge to hurl the contents of her stomach, which at this point consisted of only the Champagne, Ima watched as Jolene was warm, welcoming, and affable, while still managing to remain aloof and at arm's length. That's where Fat Elvis came into play. If any of her guests overstepped their boundaries and got a bit too touchy-feely, one look from the grizzled biker and the offender ran for the hills.

It was disgusting how a Clubhouse full of seasoned outlaw bikers fawned over the little Princess Bitch—Queen Bitch being a title Ima reserved for Jax's mother, Gemma. The thought of that one biker in particular knotted up Ima's stomach and made her want to start breaking shit. Ima had been sitting in one of the open entrances earlier tonight when she saw Jax and his crew pull into the parking lot. She had been determined to get to him first and was about to beeline it over to the sexy blond, when he in turn beelined it to his old lady standing at the main entrance, who had no doubt been waiting for him to arrive. That threw a kink into her plan of getting to him first, but it was early yet. All she had to do was get him alone and in a matter of minutes, like most men, he would be putty in her hands. But, of course, she was foiled again, the second kink in her plan being that Jax hadn't left Jolene's side for a minute, having taken over bodyguarding duties from Bobby.

 _Arrgh_!

Ima, by now more than halfway drunk and loaded, thanks to a little bump of coke she had mooched off of Dondo, was about to lose her shit when she spotted Jax alone. From clear across what Ima estimated was about half a football field, she saw him stealthily entering the Princess Bitch's office and what set her off into the stratosphere was that Jolene was nowhere to be found. Knowing this could be her one and only chance tonight, Ima handed off her Champagne glass to one of her female co-stars and started the long trek across the studio floor towards the office, all the while teetering on four-inch Lucite stripper heels. Had the party not been jumping and the lights so dim, Ima could have made her destination a lot quicker, but every 10 seconds, without fail, someone stopped her or tried to stop her. She wasn't having it. She could network later. Ima was now on a mission to snag herself the man who could get her fire burning with just one look.

Finally making it to the door, Ima stopped and adjusted herself in her dress, pushing wisps of hair that were stylishly hanging from her up-do away from her face. Ignoring the sounds that were coming from the room that should have been all too familiar to her, Ima turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open.

Jax was too far gone to realize that the noise level in the room had increased as Ima opened the door. With his face buried in the crook of Jolene's fragrant neck, Jax was grunting as he held her legs up and around his naked waist. With his jeans down by his ankles and Jolene perched on the edge of her desk, he was pushing himself into her over and over, forcing soft moans out of Jolene as she begged him to make her cum. She had pulled his cut off of his back and it was laying on the floor next to her thong underwear and she was gripping him tight, one hand on his tattooed forearm and the other holding the strap of his holster in order to brace herself.

Transfixed, Ima couldn't force herself to move even though she wanted nothing more than to run out of the room. Suddenly, Jolene's eyes flew open and connected with Ima's over Jax's shoulder. Instead of screaming at Ima to close the door, Jolene flashed her a victorious half grin as she balled a hand in Jax's hair and forced his mouth to hers.

Shocked by Jolene's boldness, and feeling all too much like the interloper she was, Ima backed up and closed the door. Proving herself to be as stupid as Jolene had estimated, Ima promised herself, with booze and drugs backing her up, that it wasn't over yet.

* * *

Sitting in a couple of director's chairs by the table set up as a bar, Jax and Opie were nursing their beers.

"You know, I just realized how lame these parties are when you can't really partake of the entertainment." Opie motioned to one of the couches were a bare-assed porn star was dry humping Happy.

"That's why you bring your own, bro." Jax suggested, as he threw a wink at Jolene, who was standing about ten feet away with Bobby and a group of foreign investors. Smiling coyly, she turned her attention back to the conversation.

Opie chuckled as he took a swig from his bottle of beer. "Yeah, right. I practically have to drag Donna to a barbeque at the Clubhouse. Can you imagine how it would have gone over had I suggested she come with me tonight?"

"You could always just get your dick sucked. That's not cheating." Jax said, barely managing to keep a straight face.

"You're fucking with me, right?"

"Hey, it's just pussy, man." Jax teased, still playing devil's advocate.

"It's just pussy? Is that what you tell your old lady?"

"Fuck no!" Jax became suddenly serious. "I prefer having Jo grab onto my dick for reasons other than ripping it off and shoving it down my throat. Besides, there ain't a woman in the world that can compare to my old lady."

"According to what she told Donna, there are those that think they're better for you than she is." Opie replied.

Jax was shaking his head, his brow furrowed. "That's just bullshit." Looking over at Jolene again, seeing how beautiful and confident she really was, it irked him that she was letting the evil mind games of certain chicken heads get to her.

"You need to contain that shit, brother. Jo's strong and she knows you love her, but there's just so much a woman like her will take."

Jax hated hearing it, but he knew his friend was right.

* * *

After four hours on her stilettoed-feet, Jolene was done schmoozing. Though always gracious and talkative when approached, Bobby could see that Kit was fading fast.

"You wanna head home?" Bobby offered after the elderly businessman from Hong Kong with the young American wife excused himself from their conversation. "You did the hard part and pressed all the necessary flesh. I can take over from here."

Jolene gratefully put her hand on the shoulder of his cut. "You would do that for me? How will you manage amongst such debauchery?" She teased.

"I'll manage even better knowing you're not around to witness my participation in said debauchery." Bobby flashed her a cheesy grin. "Besides, your old man's been eyeballing ya like he just got out of prison or something."

"Good night, Uncle Elvis," Jolene laughed as she pressed a kiss against his bearded cheek.

Jolene was about to make her way across the room towards Jax when she caught his eye. Gesturing towards the entrance, Jolene smiled as Jax instantly got the hint and jump up from his chair. Waiting for her old man to join her, Jolene felt someone trying to get her attention by tapping her on the shoulder. Turning, she got a face full of Ima. Caught completely off-guard, Jolene was momentarily stunned as the porn star spit in her face.

"I am so sick of looking at you." Ima smirked. "Why don't you just take your pathetic little ass home to your brat and let some real women take care of Jax? Trust me, sweetie, he's got all he can handle right here."

 _God truly does watch over children and fools_ , Jolene thought as she wiped the saliva off her cheek, _but not tonight_.

Looking into Ima's dilated pupils, Jolene rubbed her fouled up hand on the front of Ima's dress. Incredulous, Ima lunged at Jolene's with her claws at the ready, but grabbing her wrists, Jolene pushed Ima as hard as she could and watched as she tumbled off her cheap six-inch heels and onto her ass. Before what was happening had the chance to register with the mostly-inebriated crowd, Jolene was all over Ima, whose panicked screams could hardly be heard over the pulsating music as Ima performing a double penetration scene played on a loop on the big screens scattered around the studio.

Watching as both women went down, Jax was practically throwing punches as he struggled to make it through the press of bodies. A crowd quickly gathered around the two women currently grappling on the ground, some guests expressing disappointment when they realized it was a fight and not a live sex act.

For the life of her, Ima couldn't understand how Jolene had so quickly gained the upper hand over her when she had so completely blindsided her. But there Ima was, lying flat on her back with a wild-eyed crazy bitch straddling her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ima yelled. "Get off me, you fucking psycho!"

"Don't you get enough dick here at work, skank?" Jolene grabbed Ima by the asymmetrical neckline of her one-shoulder dress. Pulling her halfway off the ground, Jolene punched her. Blood covered Ima's mouth and chin as Jolene's fist skidded across her face and landed on her nose.

Hearing the commotion from across the set, Jax's brothers rushed forward as he got into a shoving match with one of Ima's male co-stars, who blocked his path, insisting that Jax not break up the fight. Happy, Chibs, Juice, and several other Clubs members got into several scuffles with drunk and belligerent party-guests as they tried to control the crowd and keep them from surging forward.

Ima, who was screaming at the top of her lungs at the sight of her own blood, lashed out at Jolene, trying her damnedest to connect with her face, neck, and arms. With her adrenaline pumping at full tilt, Jolene continued hitting Ima, alternating between punching her in the face and slamming her head on the ground. Unable to fight her off, Ima desperately tried to cover her face with her arms, which opened her up to several body shots delivered right to her ribs.

"Jax! Over here!" Opie hollered as he finally broke through the crowd, with Bobby following closely behind. Pushing his way through, Jax grabbed Jolene, who started yelling incoherent obscenities at him as he tried to pull her off Ima.

"Jolene!" Jax yelled as he and Opie struggled to get a hold of her, with Bobby trying to pull Ima out of her reach.

Jolene thrashed around as Jax snaked his arms underneath hers. Holding his forearms across her waist, Jax yanked her off, her legs kicking wildly in the air, almost catching Opie in the face. Jolene, refusing to let go of Ima, had her by a fistful of hair and yanked her onto her feet. Ima's screams became high-pitched as she felt the extensions being pulled out of her head. Opie grabbed Jolene's wrist and tried to pry her fingers out of Ima's hair until she suddenly let go on her own.

"Let go of me!" Jolene yelled as she fought to pull herself out of Jax's bear hug and pummeled his arms with her balled up fists. Jax felt the air being pushed out of his lungs as she landed a solid elbow in his gut.

"Calm down, baby!" Jax breathed into her wild and tangled mass of hair. Jolene, realizing for the first time that it was Jax holding her, suddenly stopped thrashing about and relaxed in his arms. "You okay, darlin'?"

Jolene nodded. "I'm fine, really." She assured him, slightly out of breath as she continued to glare at a crying Ima, who was being tended to by Chibs.

Using his head, Jax indicated to Opie that he should stand in front of Jolene, blocking her view of Ima and hopefully running interference in case she made a go for her again. They seemed to be standing in the eye of the hurricane as the crowd around them continued to do battle, with Happy leading the charge as he tossed bodies aside while simultaneously punching and kicking. As far as Happy was concerned, this was how every party should end.

Jax was the first to notice the slight shift in the room from excited pandemonium to near-panic as people starting breaking from the crowd and made a run for the exits.

"Raid!" The cry floated through the crowd like a beach ball at a rock concert. Jolene looked at Jax with fear in her eyes as they heard what could only be police sirens in the parking lot.

"Oh, shyte!" Chibs crowed as he realized the shit-storm they found themselves in.

Seizing on Chibs' distraction, Ima picked up a broken beer bottle from the floor and lunged at Jolene. Pushing his old lady behind him, Jax jumped in between her and Ima and felt the jagged end of the bottle nick his chin as Ima plunged it into his shoulder. Lucky for Jax, she caught him on his cut, the bottle barely cutting into the leather.

Ima's eyes widened as a feral glare flashed in Jax's suddenly-dark blue eyes as he looked up at her from the broken bottle she still held against his shoulder, turning her blood into ice water. Before Jax could make a grab for the bottle, Happy quickly strode forward, grabbing Ima's wrist holding the broken glass with one hand, while his other hand landed a resounding backhand to her face, which sent her flailing into Chibs' arms.

Jolene was looking at Happy with a mixture of shock and awe as he shrugged his shoulders. "She had a weapon." He said simply.

Just then, the siren from a bullhorn cracked through the air and, as if acting on instinct, every Son in the room turned in the direction it was coming from with their hands up in the air.

Hale, flanked by several armed deputies from Charming PD and the San Joaquin's Sheriff's Department, approached the small crowd of party-goers remaining.

"Everyone down on the ground, hands behind your heads!" He called out through the bullhorn. Bringing the horn to his side, he gestured towards Jolene as she was about to comply. "Not you."

Glaring with flared nostrils as he got down on his knees, Jax watched as Hale approached a clearly shaken up Jolene, his concern for her etched on his face.

"Down!" One of the Sheriff's deputies pushed him from behind, forcing Jax into a prone position. Jolene was on the verge of tears, her eyes connecting with Jax's as Hale put his arm around her shoulders and led her away.

* * *

Hale leaned against the observation mirror into the interrogation room currently occupied by Jolene Morrow. Despite the brawl that had broken out at the Cara Cara wrap party, in which she had found herself in the middle of, Jolene looked runway ready in the figure-flattering gold Marchesa mini-dress.

Hale didn't know at whom he was angry more—at Jolene for getting herself into this mess or at himself for still caring about and wanting to protect her. Unfortunately, his pull with Sanwa County went only so far and, at this point, he didn't think there was anything he could do to get her out of the serious jail time she was quite possibly facing.

The porn star that Jolene had beaten into a bloody pulp hadn't stopped screaming from the moment she was thrown into lock-up after being treated by paramedics on the scene and released into police custody. It was clear that she fully intended to press charges against Jolene for the ass whooping that she had handed to her.

_And there's nothing I can do about it._

As Hale tried to think of something he could do to stall Jolene's booking process, Deputy Parsons approached him.

"Hey, Hale, it looks like our porn star has an outstanding warrant."

"What?" Hale said, surprised.

"Yeah." Parsons handed the Deputy Chief a printout of a rap sheet for one Rebecca Meyerson, a/k/a Ima Tite. "I ran her through the database along with the others brought in for questioning. There were a few hits, nothing serious until this warrant popped up. Apparently, she has quite a history with the Sanwa Sheriff's Department having been arrested several times for prostitution, the last time being about two years ago. Seems she was part of the stable Ernest Darby was running out of Pope."

"Humph." Hale suppressed a chuckle as he scanned Ima's rap sheet with interest. "Yeah, Darby was hustling a string of girls a couple of years back. So she was one of his?"

"Yep. She was busted operating out of that roach motel a couple miles outside of Pope known throughout the county for peddling pussy. The Sanwa Sherriff's Department issued the warrant, but never picked her up."

Hale rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

_Maybe there's something I can do after all._

* * *

It was obvious to everyone watching the two way mirror of the interrogation room that Ima Tite had come off the worse for wear in the wrap party melee. The difference between her and Jolene Morrow was almost night and day. Ima's sky blue one-shoulder spandex mini-dress was ripped, leaving one of her breasts partially exposed. Her hair, which had been styled in a sweeping up do was disheveled and lopsided, and somewhere between Cara Cara and the station house she had lost one of her Lucite heels. Her face, however, had gotten the worst of it. Ima was bloody, swollen, and smeared with grime from the epic smack down she received courtesy of the former tomboy who had been taught to throw a punch by the fiercest bare-knuckle fighter in SAMCRO history, Chibs Telford.

After dismissing the deputies who were observing the room and enjoying cheap thrills at the expense of the underdressed porn star, Hale strolled into the room holding a folder. Sitting across from her, Hale shook his head in wonderment.

_Damn, Jolene sure beat the crap out of you._

Placing the folder on the metal table, Hale leaned back as he surveyed the painfully thin woman. Before he could open his mouth, Ima started making demands.

"I want to press charges against Jolene Morrow to the fullest extent of the law. That bitch has ruined my face. I am an actress and her baseless attack on me is not only harassment of an employee of the studio, but the injuries I have suffered will compromise my ability to earn a living. She needs to pay for what she has done!"

Hale leaned back in his chair and gazed at the angry young woman. "Well, that's one side of the story." Hale replied calmly. "However, I've spoken to a number of the party guests at the scene and here at the station house, and based on what I've gathered, it was _you_ that instigated the fight, which then turned into a full scale brawl. I don't need anyone to file a complaint against you and I am well within my rights to charge you with not only causing a public disturbance, but with inciting a riot, assault and battery, and resisting arrest. And maybe you didn't know, but a broken bottle is considered a weapon, which I personally witnessed you wielding and threatening Jolene Morrow with. Possession of a deadly weapon will contribute significantly to time added to the nine months you would have served in County, but now you will most undoubtedly serve time in the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla. And let me tell ya, Chowchilla will make county lock-up seem like charm school."

Ima's eyes literally shot daggers at Hale. "What the hell are you taking about? I'm not going to jail."

"Well, Miss Tite, that's where I am afraid you're wrong." Hale casually flipped open the folder on the table to reveal a copy of her rap sheet. "Oh, I apologize. It's actually Miss Meyerson. According to the San Joaquin Sherriff's Department, you've been arrested several times and currently have an outstanding warrant for prostitution. It seems you were earning your money much like you do now, except, and I'm only assuming, it wasn't filmed. At the time of your last arrest, you were working for that well-known crank dealer and part-time pimp, Ernest Darby." Hale smiled thinly. "Any of that ring a bell? After all, you are Rebecca Meyerson, right?"

 _Holy fuckin' shit_ , Ima thought, dismayed.

"According to this," Hale fingered the report, "The first time you were picked up, you spent only five days in county lock-up and were given a year's probation, which is somewhat surprising."

_Not really. I suck a mean dick._

"But then you were charged again only three months after your probation ended and went in for a month with another six months on probation. Unfortunately, with your third arrest on the same prostitution charges falling within an 18-month period, you've been branded a repeat-offender and your sentence will more than likely be at least nine months, which you could have served in County. But tacking on the assault and battery charges stemming from tonight's incident, plus public nuisance and rioting, well, that will add about three-to-five years minimum in a state prison. That certainly is a long time for an 'actress' to be out of circulation. But if you're smart, maybe I can fix it so that you won't serve the full sentence you so rightly deserve."

Ima was pissed beyond belief. She should have known better than to get involved with Darby, but desperate times call for desperate measures _._ Ima considered her options, which, if the hints Hale was dropping were true, were few in number. The possibility that she would be able to avoid serving any jail time was highly unlikely. There was no way that she could risk being inside for several years. Doing that one stinking month in County had been hard enough.

It was obvious that her getting together with Jax Teller now was not going to happen. Fourteen months in prison was a long time for a man like Jax and he was too preoccupied with Jolene at the moment to see beyond the nose on his face. Ima had overplayed her hand and made her move too soon. She should have waited him out, let him get banging his former old lady out of his system. They were running hot now, but eventually, he was gonna get tired of the same old pussy and then, she was willing to bet money, he would have sought her out. That was the time to make her move and Ima knew that until that happened, she was going to have to keep working in order to survive, but she couldn't do that from prison. Three years out of circulation would be the death of her career. The only way to salvage what she had was to do as little time as possible and then start over with a new studio, like Georgie Caruso's. Ima would love nothing more than to stick it to that stuck up bitch Jolene by bailing to Cara Cara's biggest competitor and greatest threat, only to come back later and take her man. But first, she had to see her way out of this mess _._

Looking at Hale, Ima smiled to herself. She could tell from his last comment that he wanted to make a deal.

 _I bet you're my biggest fan, huh?_ _He's kind of cute in a Canadian Mounties kind of way. If doing him gets me off, no problem, honey._

Thinking that she was about to see her way clear, Ima threw head back and prominently thrust out her bust so that her partially exposed breast was displayed for maximum effect. "Well, what do you have in mind, sugar?"

 _Not what you think,_ Hale thought distastefully. _I wouldn't touch your dirty ass with somebody else's dick._

Hale smiled grimly. "Let's talk."

* * *

Sitting in an interrogation room in the Charming PD station house for several hours, Jolene took a good, long look at the current state of affairs, which were entirely of her own making. She should have contained her mud because she was getting too damn old for this shit. What kind of example was she setting for her son by getting arrested for beating some random whore to a bloody heap? Even worse, and this is what killed her, it was going to take nothing short of a miracle to keep her out of jail. She could hear Ima from clear across the station house calling for charges to be up brought up against her. Doing time for assault and battery was going to take her away from her baby and her old man, not to mention break her father's heart. Also _,_ whatever chance she had of ever teaching again, if any, was as good as gone.

Jolene had fooled herself into thinking that she had evolved significantly in the time she had been away from Charming. In reality, you could take the woman out of the Life, but you sure as shit couldn't take the Life out of the woman.

The girl fight, which, for the most part, had many cheering at the unexpected entertainment, had quickly evolved into an out-and-out brawl. Ima had her supporters in the studio and the industry that saw Jolene as an intruder and were quick to get involved in an effort to give Ima the upper hand. That's when all hell had broken loose. Jax had jumped to her defense, quickly followed by every single Son in attendance. They almost had the situation under control with a few well-thrown punches and by issuing threats of deadly force, but some rat had called Charming PD to break up the shenanigans, resulting in a full-scale sweep of the wrap party attendees, including Jolene herself.

Jolene had known coming home wasn't going to be easy. She knew that there would be obstacles that would be thrown her way in an effort to try and keep her and Jax apart. But shit, Jax had been home only a week and already Jolene has had three in-your-face confrontations with Jax's skank-filled past.

_And now I'm in here, for who knows how long without both of my boys._

Suddenly realizing how another arrest so soon after getting out of Chino could affect Jax and Opie, Jolene's hand flew to her mouth to suppress a sob. Wiping away a couple of runaway tears, Jolene's reflections were interrupted when the door to the interrogation room opened to reveal Hale, holding a fresh bottle of water.

Handing the bottle to Jolene, Hale perched himself on the corner of the table. "How are you holding up?"

"Oh, I'm okay. Thanks for asking." Jolene looked up and smiled ruefully. "I'm just wondering why I'm in these cushy accommodations and not down in lock-up."

 _Because you're too damn beautiful to be in anyone's lock-up_ , Hale wanted to say, but thought better of it.

"I thought it might be a little more comfortable for you in here." He replied instead.

"Thanks, David. I really appreciate it." Jolene said sincerely, knowing that once again, Hale was bending the rules for her.

Hale cocked his head. "You mind telling me what happened with Ima?" He was having a hard time believing that such a small woman could kick that much ass.

Jolene sighed. "I think it might be better if I didn't. At least, not without my attorney present."

"Well, I don't think you'll be needing a lawyer."

As Jolene quirked her eyebrow, Hale walked to the door of the interrogation room and admitted her father and her old man, closely followed by Chief Unser. She leapt to her feet to wrap her arms around Jax's neck in a fierce hug. He was looking a little scruffy after the events of the wrap party.

Sinking his hands into her hair, Jax whispered, "You a'ight, darlin'?"

"I am now," Jolene smiled as Jax pressed a kiss against her forehead. "But what about you? And what's going on?" She looked over her old man's shoulder to catch David's eye.

"What's going on is you're free to go." Hale replied.

The shock of Hale's statement rendered the rest of the occupants of the room momentarily speechless, with Clay being the first one to find his voice.

"What do you mean? Unser said the porn pussy was pressing charges against my daughter for a fight that she instigated."

"Well, I've had a talk with the porn—I mean, Miss Tite and it seems that she's had a change of heart. Besides, she has her own set of problems that she'll be dealing with in the very near future."

At Hale's statement, Jolene had allowed her tense body to relax against Jax. "What problems?"

"It seems that Miss Tite has an outstanding warrant out of San Joaquin County for prostitution. I took the opportunity to explain to her that with the time she was facing on those charges, plus what was on tap for tonight's melee, she was looking at three-to-five. She agreed that serving only four months was a helluva better deal with regards to the longevity of her career than doing several years." Hale explained, making eye contact only with Jolene. "All party guests picked up tonight, including several Sons, were also released after she retracted her statements and agreed that it was all just a misunderstanding. Being that said misunderstanding was contained on Cara Cara's property, there will be no record of your brief visit with us on file."

Unser stared at his Deputy Chief in shock.

 _Damn, the boy's more far gone than I first realized_.

The only reason that SAMCRO and all of their associates were walking out the door right now was because of the beautiful young woman standing in Jackson Teller's arms. And Unser wasn't the only one who realized it either.

Clarence Morrow was nobody's fool. As he looked at the young police officer, he knew that the man had more than just a passing interest in his daughter and, while he was grateful that it worked out in Jolene's favor, he wasn't happy about it at all.

"Well, that was kind of you, Deputy Chief, taking such an interest in my daughter's well-being." Clay said suavely. "It's nice to know that we can count on Charming PD to protect the innocent."

 _But if you don't stay away from my daughter, I'm going to rip your fuckin' head off_.

Clay was not about to have any more drama come between his baby girl and her old man.

As Clay stood speaking to Hale, it took all that Jax had not to rip Hale's throat out. This obsession with Jolene needed to end or Jax was gonna end it for him and even Unser would have a hard time protecting Jax for killing a cop.

Seeing Hale at Cara Cara again, so soon after their first encounter in front of Floyd's, had reawakened all the feelings of rage Jax felt toward the POS pig that had manipulated his way into Jolene's bed. Hale's attitude towards her at the porn studio had not gone unnoticed by Jax.

_You don't have the right to care about her._

Looking at Jax, Hale recalled the slight sting of fear he'd felt when he realized that Teller knew about his night of passion with Jolene. Mostly, Hale was worried that Jolene would have to deal with the repercussions of their one night together, but after thinking about it, he realized that Teller loved Jolene too much to take his anger out on her.

Watching Jolene joyfully reunited Jax and Clay, Hale smiled grimly to himself.

_Sooner or later, Jax and I are going to have it out . . . and I can't wait._


	8. More Than Just an Old Lady

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

The mid-morning sun crept into the darkened room through the slats of the wood blinds and fell across the naked occupants of the bed.

Moaning softly as the light hit her eyes, Jolene snuggled deeper into Jax's side, shivering slightly as a cool breeze came through the open window. With one eye open and an arm tucked underneath Jolene as he held her close, Jax felt around for the downy soft comforter and realized that he must have kicked it off the bed in his sleep. While he tended to get overheated as he slept, his old lady, in spite of his intense body heat, usually spent half the night shivering like a tiny lap dog. Pulling her closer, his lips grazing her closed eyelids, Jolene made happy, purring noises as she intertwined her legs with his. Relishing his heat, her eyes suddenly flew open as he forced surprised giggles out of her.

"Come on, darlin'," Jax was smiling wickedly as he held her face so she had to look him in the eyes. "Let me in. I'll warm you up." He kissed her lips softly, his morning wood poking at the cleft between her legs, demanding entry.

Jolene smiled at him, a teasing sparkle in her eyes as she opened her legs ever so slightly. Jax groaned. He was in and she was gloriously tight. "Fuck, baby, don't stop." She practically had him begging as she clenched her pelvic muscles around him in a rhythm that was threatening to render him unconscious. She was moaning deliciously against his ear. In spite of wanting to take it slow, Jax reached under her and cupped her ass in his hands, pulling her towards him as his thrusts grew increasingly harder and faster.

"Oh, baby," Jolene's breathing quickened as she was about to cross the threshold from delicious agony into unspeakable glory. "Oh my God! What are you doing to me, Jackson?"

"I'm loving you, darlin'," Jax tenderly kissed the hand cradling his face, before dropping his lips to hers. "I'm the lucky bastard that gets to love you like this."

Now she was trembling against him for another reason, the chill in the room forgotten as Jolene raked her nails over the Reaper on his back and called out his name. Afterwards, even though she had made him sweat, Jax pulled the comforter up off the floor and over them as Jolene burrowed herself into Jax's side again, her head cradled on his shoulder and face buried in his neck. She was warm and mellow, her limbs almost turned into mush after the intensity of her last orgasm. Jolene smiled to herself as she realized that if she had to run for her life, she'd probably fall flat on her face.

As usual, Jax had his hand buried in her thick, soft hair as he inhaled the fresh, clean scent of her raspberry-vanilla shampoo. God, how he had missed it, not understanding how he had survived without it, _without Jolene_ , for so long.

Pressed against the hard planes of his chest, with the hairs of his goatee tickling her nose, Jolene let her eyes drift close. Feeling satisfied, safe, and, above all, loved, Jolene had a sudden epiphany.

"Baby?"

"Hmmm?" Jax pressed a kiss against her hair.

"It's over. I'm done." Jolene muffled into the crook of his neck.

Pulling back slightly, Jax looked into her eyes. "Come again, darlin'?" He questioned, puzzled.

Jolene lovingly stroked his furrowed brow, her hand finally resting on his cheek. "Cara Cara. I'm done with it and I want out." She replied, almost causing Jax to laugh out loud with relief. Bringing her hand to his lips, Jax listened as Jolene unloaded, once again, about her distaste for all things porn. "I know we talked about me quitting Cara Cara before, and that was still the plan, but I was going to give it time, two, maybe three weeks to transition someone else in. After last night—" Jolene trailed off, feeling guilty that she was letting some cheap whore get the best of her. "I just don't want to let the Club down."

"Trust me, Jo. After last night, no one at the table is gonna question your decision to leave Cara Cara." Jax started, but Jolene shook her head slightly.

"I just hate feeling like I'm leaving shit undone. I especially don't want anyone thinking I'm weak and let some porn pussy chase me away. The only one scaring me away is _me_. I wanted to kill that bitch last night, Jax. She's lucky she got to walk away with just a broken nose."

Jax chuckled as he was slammed with the memory of a long-forgotten incident involving another woman, a bat-wielding Jolene, and a broken nose. "Yeah, what is up with you and breaking chicks' noses?"

Jolene flashed Jax with a look that screamed "Don't go there, asshole!", causing Jax to laugh outright. "I thought we had an agreement to never mention a certain part of our collective history."

"We do, darlin'. I'm sorry." Jax pulled her towards him by the back of the neck and kissed her forehead. "I have to admit, though, as worried as I was about you last night, it was kinda hot having to wrestle you off of Ima." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"You need help, you know that?" Jolene chastised, avoiding Jax's lips as he tried to kiss her, but finally succumbing and letting him plant one on her. "The point I was trying to make before your penis distracted you again is that I let her get under my skin and it almost cost me big time. Not only was I facing some serious jail time, but so were you and where would that leave Abel? It's not worth it." She explained.

"Jo, no one's gonna think any less of you for leaving Cara Cara. You were doing Otto and the Club a favor by getting shit straight in there. Everyone that matters knows that's not where you belong."

"You do get it, don't you, Jax?" Jolene nodded as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "It's not about having to deal with the likes of Ima. Growing up in the Clubhouse, I'm used to that shit. It's about me wanting, _needing_ to work, to have something for myself that I can take pride in. I'm a teacher, Jax. I want to help kids learn and make something of themselves. I feel like a hypocrite walking into that studio everyday. I know it sounds corny, but how many of those girls would have ended at Cara Cara if only they'd had the right mentoring? Had I never come to Charming, _I_ could have been one of those girls."

"Somehow, I don't see that happening, darlin'." Jax smiled, remembering Jolene as stubborn, opinionated, and incredibly smart since the day she set foot in Charming. If six years living with her piece of shit mother hadn't broken her, nothing would.

"Teaching is basically out of the question for me, Jax. Does it make me a selfish, stuck up bitch to think that if my only two options are porn or nothing, that I'm better off doing nothing, especially when Otto and the Club were counting on me?" Jolene asked worriedly.

Jax sat up next to her. "Jo, forget Otto and forget the Club. I'm talking to you as your old man, not SAMCRO's VP. This is about you, and baby, those are not your only two options." He grabbed her face and kissed her lips. "You're brilliant and beautiful with just enough bat-shit crazy to make you the most amazing woman I know. You are so far from being a selfish, stuck up bitch that I can't even understand where that shit's coming from. I just want you to do what makes you happy, Jo and the fact that it's not Cara Cara is the icing on my cake." He smiled.

"What if I told you that, as of today, I was ready to stay at home, be a proper old lady to you and mother for our son? I won't be bringing in any money, but it won't be forever, and it will make me happy." Jolene offered, her eyes wide. "I know it's short notice, Jax, and I should probably give the studio two weeks, but Bobby and I have had an eye on a current employee that we think is more than capable of running Cara Cara. Could you bring it to the Club, let them know I'm ready to step down?"

Jax had a huge smile on his face. "Darlin', nothing would make me happier. I'll definitely bring it up to Clay today at the barbeque. Something tells me he won't have any problems supporting your decision."

* * *

Dropping a kiss on Jolene's upturned face as he passed her chair, Jax plopped down into his seat next to his stepfather and son, who were relaxing in Clay's favorite lounge chair in the Morrows' backyard.

"How them hamburgers coming?" Clay asked.

Jax handed the older man a beer. "They're looking good. Should be done in about five minutes."

"Thanks for taking over. I'm having a little trouble today." Clay eased his grip on the beer before taking a swig.

"How are the hands doing?" Jax asked, concerned.

"Not too bad, but sometimes the pain acts up like a real—" Looking at Abel, Clay finished "Witch." Clay was trying to do the best he could to respect his daughter's wishes about not using profanity around his grandson, but sometimes he slipped up. "I'm trying not to worry about it."

Abel, having taken a break from playtime to hang out with his grandfather, decided to jump back into the fray as Kenny chased Ellie around the yard in an effort to tag her as "It". Slipping off Clay's lap, Abel said, "I'll be back, Papa. I gonna go play."

Clay smiled as his grandson took off at a dead run. "God, to be that young again and have that much energy."

"I know," Jax replied. "I've actually had to cut down on my smokes just so I can keep up with him. Jo quit altogether."

Nodding at his daughter, who was currently laughing with her best friend while sitting in a couple of lounge chairs, Clay said, "Baby girl looks pretty happy today, considering what went down last night." He said referring to the beating she laid on Ima, which, although gratifying, could have resulted in Jolene doing some time.

Jax rubbed his hand over his face. "Yeah, she does and I've got some really good news to share on that front." He started and Clay gave him a quizzical look. "Jo decided to quit Cara Cara."

"Are you shitting me?" Clay said disbelievingly, afraid to get his hopes up.

"I shit you not." Jax smiled as he leaned back in his chair and took a long swig from his beer. "Last night's brawl hit too close to home. She blames herself for losing her shit and feels guilty about me and Ope getting pulled in. Getting arrested so soon after being released could have really put us in the shitter."

Clay snorted. "It sure could have, but hey, whatever works. I guess that shit storm last night was the straw that broke that stubborn camel's back. This is really great news, Jax. You made my day."

"Shit, I couldn't be happier myself." Jax stated. "I'm just glad this was a decision she came to on her own because I was debating putting my foot down."

Clay chuckled as he took a sip from his beer. "That would have gone over well."

"I was close to not giving a shit. You had to know I never wanted her to go into the porn business, Clay."

"Yeah, I know. I nearly had a heart attack myself when Bobby first brought it up at Church. But my baby girl has a way of getting what she wants, even when it might not be the best thing for her. I'm just glad that she finally got out before things could get any worse." Clay sighed.

"She's headstrong and prideful, a bit of a pain in the ass, but I fucking love that about her. In a way, I wish she was more like my soon-to-be ex, who had no problem with me supporting her. Since almost day one I've had to fight Jo to let me be her old man in that regard. Even gave me shit about paying for books while she was in college. She's just not the type of person to sit back and let someone else take care of her."

"Well, taking care of herself is a lesson she learned early on, thanks to her piece of shit mother. Speaking of whores, even though hearing you mention my baby girl in the same sentence as the junkie croweater makes my skin crawl, I'm glad you brought it up." Clay stated. "With one of your minor whore problems resolved, what have you decided to do about the major Reno mistake? I don't want that gash anywhere near my daughter or my grandson again. If you don't do something soon, the possibility still exists for Jolene to go ape shit and end up in prison 'cause she _will_ kill that bitch."

Jax was shaking his head, remembering what Opie had said before the battle royale at the wrap party. "In the back of my mind, I knew things weren't going to go smoothly with me and Jolene when I got back, but I honestly did not see this shit coming, Clay. I know there's only just so much Jo's gonna take before she gets fed up and I'm not losing her again. I need to get rid of Wendy and quick. Rosen assured me he could put my plan in motion, but he won't be back in the office until Tuesday. I've been burned by shitty attorneys before, so it remains to be seen if he can really pull it off."

"Nah, Rosen's one of the good ones. He's a smart guy and true to his word. If he says he can get it done, it's as good as done. Gee, you're just so full of happy news today, aren't ya?" Clay beamed, and just as quickly, the smile fell off his face. "Unfortunately, brother, that Reno pussy isn't your only problem."

Jax looked at his stepfather. "Meaning?"

"Meaning that son of a bitch Captain America." Clay pointed an index finger at Jax. "Our straight-as-an-arrow Deputy Chief is utterly transparent and can hardly conceal the hard-on he has for my daughter and your old lady." As Jax's eyes narrowed, Clay nodded. "Yeah, I noticed just how happy the bastard was to help her out and although he kept her and, by default, you and your brothers out of trouble, I'm not happy about it. _Not at all_."

"Still can't compare to how I feel." Jax growled.

Knowing that Clay had picked up on Hale's interest in Jolene stung. Jax had not revealed to anyone, not even Opie, the extent of Hale's involvement with Jolene. After last night's events, Jax knew that he needed to settle the score between him and Hale and soon before his Club President started to think that he couldn't handle the situation.

"I have every intention of dealing with Hale, in my own way and on my own time," Jax assured Clay. "But I appreciate knowing that I have your support to do whatever I see fit."

Clay nodded his head in satisfaction. He was glad to see that Jax was going to handle this business with Hale. But before he could press him for more details, Clay was momentarily distracted as his grandson beelined it to him.

Reaching out with both arms, Clay caught Abel and sat him in his lap. Thinking that now was as good a time as any for the surprise he had for Abel, Clay smiled down at his grandson. "So, you really liked riding with your old man, huh, Abel?"

Abel nodded his head emphatically. "Uh huh. Daddy rides real good, but we didn't go very fast."

Jax reached over and ruffled his son's closely-cropped hair. "We still had a good time, Little Man. Besides, I didn't want to worry your mother."

Abel rolled his eyes. "Mommy was scared." He groused.

Clay burst out laughing. "But you weren't, huh?"

"Nope. I like riding. I wish I had my own bike like Daddy's."

"Well," Clay looked at Jax with a large smile on his face. "I think we can do a little something about that. Hey Prospect! That's your cue."

Jolene, who had been sitting with Donna in the patio chairs across from her father and had been listening with half an ear to her son's conversation with his father and grandpa, got an inkling that something big was about to happen. A pit suddenly formed in her stomach when she saw the open-mouthed expression on Donna's face. Whirling around she saw Half-Sack, coming from the direction of Gemma's greenhouse, steering what appeared to be a . . .

_OM_ _FG!_

Jolene tried to speak, but she was struck dumb. Her seafoam green eyes became the size of saucers as she saw the silver and cobalt blue miniature-sized fully powered motorcycle that Half-Sack was escorting to an equally dumbstruck Abel.

Clay got up with Abel in his arms and met the Prospect half way. "So what do you think, Little Man? You like it?"

Abel finally found his voice and looked at his grandpa with eyes as wide and green as his mother's. "It's really mine?" He whispered.

Clay beamed. "That's right. Your Dad helped me pick it out."

_I'm a kill him. I'm gonna be his widow before I even get to be his wife._

"It's modeled after a Harley-Davidson Rocker. Only the best for my son." Jax smiled devilishly.

Abel threw his little arms around his grandpa's neck. "Thank you, Papa. Now I can ride jus like Daddy."

Clay wrapped his powerful arms around his grandson and gently returned the hug.

_I never thought that I could feel love for a child again like I did with my baby girl. Thank God she came home._

Jax slapped a hand on Clay's shoulder and took Abel from him. "You want to get on?"

"Yeah!"

"Dad, are you out of your flipping mind?" Jolene demanded as she jumped out of her chair, mindful not to curse, like she wanted to, in front of her son.

"Not to my knowledge, baby girl." Clay smiled cheesily.

"Don't you 'baby girl' me!" Jolene shot back. "My baby is three years old!"

"Actually, he's closer to four, sweetheart."

As Jolene's eyes grew stormy, Clay knew that the better part of valor required him to stand firm and take his beating, but looking into his daughter's eyes, he decided he needed a scapegoat. Pulling out one of his favorite cigars, Clay lit it and then used it to point at Jolene's son and old man.

"Maybe you didn't hear, but it was _your old man_ with whom I consulted on this little purchase and he seemed to be okay with it. Maybe you should take a bite out of his ass before you start chewing on mine." Clay put an arm around the stiff form of his daughter. "Besides, it's very simple for Abel to use and since your house has no access from the front to the back of the house, Abel will be able to use it only in the backyard, away from traffic and anybody else who might pose a danger to him. And look at him," Clay said expansively, "He's doing great! Hey, look everyone, already my grandson's a pro!"

With her heart pounding in her chest, Jolene watched as her son, now wearing his helmet and elbow and knee pads, nimbly worked the controls under his father's direction. Making imitation revving sounds, Abel smiled hugely as he negotiated the three-wheeled motorcycle around the perimeter of his grandparents' yard with ease.

"He is kind of good, isn't he?" Jolene grudgingly admitted, trying to suppress a proud half-grin as she watched her son.

"Of course he is!" Clay enthused. Looking at his stepson, Clay gave Jax a surreptitious wink.

_I told my VP I would handle his old lady. He really needs to have more faith in his President._

* * *

No one looking at the brawny, wild-haired man with the thick-rimmed glasses would think that he was excited as he sat calmly at a table in Stockton's Visitor's Center. But nonetheless, he was looking forward to receiving a visit from two of his brothers.

The first five years into his 15-to-life sentence had become pretty routine. Otto Delaney still managed to get into a little trouble now and again, but, for the most part, the Aryan Brotherhood continued to honor the agreement Clay had made with Ernest Darby to provide him with unlimited protection. After discovering the involvement of Darby's second-in-command in the attack on Jax and Jolene, Clay had painfully renegotiated the original deal he had with Darby. In exchange for allowing Darby to continue enjoying the privilege of breathing, the Aryan Brotherhood was to provide protection for Otto as long as he was in Stockton.

But living had really stopped being important to Otto once Luann had died. Fortunately, Otto had his ongoing battles with the Warden to get better education and equipment for the inmates in Stockton and the visits he received from his SAMCRO family to keep him going. Looking out for other inmates and worrying about others helped take Otto's mind off of his own problems.

As the C.O. announced his name. Seeing his two brothers, minus their cuts, walking through the door, Otto rose to his feet. He first embraced his President and then greeted his protégée with a backslapping bro hug. "Well, it's about damn time you came to see me, asshole!" Otto exclaimed.

"Hey, hey, hey." Clay said as all three men sat down at the table. "Cut him a little slack. It's a miracle his old lady ever lets him out of her sight."

"Yeah, I saw he's limping a little. She must have near broke it off ya, huh?" Otto ribbed the young man.

Clay looked at his former VP with steely blue eyes. "I don't believe I asked you to paint me a word picture."

"Well, I have to believe that visual is certainly better than watching your VP drinking himself into an early grave with your daughter still into the wind." Otto smiled at the younger man.

"I have you to thank for that, don't I?" Jax said suddenly serious. Abruptly changing the subject, he continued, "You have to know how sorry I was about Luann. Jo and I make sure to keep her plot taken care of and fresh yellow roses are put on her headstone every couple of weeks."

"Thanks, brother." Otto said gruffly.

Jax replied, "No, thank you, man. You have been a true mentor to me and just when I think there is no more you could possibly teach me, you continue to amaze me. What you did in convincing Jolene to come home to Charming—to me—is something that I will never be able to repay. You showed me the true meaning of brotherhood, to think beyond myself even when I have my own problems and insecurities and to look out for my brothers. But you didn't just give me back my old lady, you gave me something else."

Otto looked at his brother quizzically. "What?"

Jax reached into the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out his pre-pay. Double-tapping the app he had on the touch screen activated a montage of still photos of a beautiful blond-headed boy. Seeing a photo of Jolene holding the playful little boy in her arms, Otto's jaw dropped. Jax put a hand on his shoulder. "You gave me my son."

* * *

Clay and Jax spent the next thirty minutes showing off pictures and videos of Abel that they both had on their pre-pays.

Otto clapped a ham fist on top of Jax's shoulder. "You should be real proud. You have a beautiful family. I can't believe the little brat didn't tell me!"

"You?" Clay nearly barked. "What about me?"

"Well, since I'm the sperm donor, I trump both you bastards." Jax quipped.

"Just barely." Clay pointed a ringed-finger at his stepson.

"Jo definitely wanted to be here today to tell you in person and introduce you to Abel, but Little Man woke up feeling under the weather this morning." Jax explained.

"Tell her I'll be waiting and that I won't chew her ass off too badly for not telling me sooner." Otto looked at another photo of Abel, tricked out in the latest motorcycle gear for toddlers as he sat on his new bike. Otto chuckled as he looked up at Jax. "That is a fuckin' awesome ride, man."

"I know. I wish they made these when I was a kid. Abel rides it like a pro. His Grandpa over there is spoiling him rotten."

"Hey, that's my God-given right as his grandfather. Besides, I've got to make up for lost time."

Otto handed Jax his pre-pay. "How did Jolene handle his first ride?"

Both Clay and Jax started laughing. Finally, Clay replied, "Not too well at first, but I managed to cool her jets before she went off the rails."

Otto looked at Jax. "You better be taking some lessons from your President here. Make sure you take good care of your family."

"I am, and because of your generosity to Jolene while I was on the inside, she's been able to take very good care of our son."

Otto waived away Jax's thanks. "I was happy to do it. She's done a marvelous job running Cara Cara. I couldn't have chosen anyone better to run the place."

"I'm glad that it worked out, especially for SAMCRO, but I'm afraid I have some bad news." Jax said. "For lack of a better word, there was a raid at the wrap party at Cara Cara on Saturday night and a bunch of guests and some our brothers, me and Ope included, got picked up. So was Jo."

"Is she all right?"

"She made it through okay. The same can't be said for the cum dumpster who picked a fight with the wrong old lady, which quickly escalated into an out-and-out street brawl." Jax explained.

"Lemme guess. Some porn pussy you were banging before going inside?" Otto shook his head regretfully. He should have known they would have come crawling out of the woodwork once word got out of Jolene's former old lady status.

"Yeah. It was gonna get ugly 'cause she was pushing to press charges against Jo, but, at the last minute, was convinced to do otherwise. The whole thing left a pretty sour taste in Jo's mouth. While she doesn't want to let you or the Club down, and had been doing really well with the business aspect of Cara Cara's day-to-day, it's not where she wants to be. She loves teaching and if she can't do that, she'd rather settle down, play house for a little while. She hates feeling like she's disappointing you, Otto, but she wants to step down and, to tell you the truth, I want her to as well."

"Frankly," Clay said "I was pretty hot at you, brother, for making the recommendation for my baby girl to take over in the first place."

Big Otto sighed ruefully. "Yeah, I had a feeling that it wouldn't go over too well with you, but I realized that losing her job with those pricks at the school had affected her confidence. I knew that she could handle the job and the responsibility. I figured it would give her self-esteem a little boost, make her feel good about herself by earning again and give her some time to figure out what she wanted to do going forward."

Clay shook his head. He should have realized that Otto's request had more to do with helping Jolene than about Cara Cara. When he was Clay's VP, he was always a cool head under fire and looked for ways to improve the quality of life for his brothers. So why wouldn't he look out for his baby girl in his own twisted way?

Otto directed his next comment to Jax. "But now that her old man is home to take care of his responsibilities, I completely understand how you feel." At Jax's look of surprise, Otto threw up his hands. "What? You didn't think I would? The love of my life was in the business. Why do you think I used my earnings to put her ass in the producer's chair? I loved her too damn much to share her with anyone else and, now that your home, I know for damn sure the last thing you want is to have Jolene exposed to that sordid bunch. We may turn a profit, but it's still a dirty business. That's one of the reasons her Uncle Elvis was part of the package. I knew he'd watch out for Jo, but if Bobby and Jolene can find someone else to take the reins, I don't see why she can't quit immediately. Nothing makes me feel better than to know that you two kids are finally settling down together and raising a new generation for SAMCRO. I just hate like hell that I'm gonna miss the wedding."

Jax chuckled bitterly. "Hopefully, there'll be one, or I'm gonna die trying, brother." Seeing Otto's expression of disbelief—as if to say " _How did you fuck this up now?"_ —Jax shared his current troubles with Wendy, including the confrontation at the Clubhouse and the revelation that Wendy never filed the divorce papers, as Clay looked on.

"I promised Jolene that we were going to be together as a family and we are, but Wendy is like a shadow over everything I'm trying to rebuild. Legally, I can't even get the slag out of my house—the house I bought for my old lady, not that Jo would ever step foot in it again.'" Jax said exasperated. "And it seems everywhere she looks, another one of my 'past indiscretions' jumps bad in her face, forcing her to get all territorial by beating the piss out of them in front of everyone."

Otto's odd sense of humor kicked in as his shoulders started to shake with laughter. "Yeah, I know. Tig has an awesome video collection of Jolene's Greatest Hits and I'm not talking about her singing."

"I'm glad he could give you a chuckle." Jax retorted grimly.

"Hey man, I'm not trying bust your ass. I just feel like I've had this conversation with you before. Look, you _will_ get out of this situation with the crank whore and you will be able to start fresh with Jolene, but the bottom line is, brother, you brought this mess on yourself and you can't clean it up overnight. Do the best you can, keep your dick in your pants, live your life, love your old lady and your son, and stay focused on the positive. Because in the end, nothing else really matters." Otto shook his head at himself. "Damn, I'm watching _way_ too much fuckin' Oprah in this place."

* * *

Changing her morning routine was easier than Jolene had expected. No longer having to get to Cara Cara at 7:30 in the morning gave her an extra hour or two to lounge in bed with Jax before Abel came ripping into their bedroom. As a matter of fact, mornings quickly became her favorite time of day.

However, this morning was different. Leaving her old man and son at the kitchen table eating Cheerios, Jolene grabbed her bag and her keys and took off to Donna's house.

With Opie out of town on a run with Tig to Eureka and Donna needing to be at Oswald Construction for an early morning meeting, Donna had asked Jolene to drop her kids off at school.

Now, Jolene's tires screeched to a halt in front of the Winston home as she quickly parked her car on the street and dashed up their front walk where Donna met her, running to her russet-colored Volvo sedan.

"Thank God, I thought you forgot and I was gonna be late." Donna opened the door to the sedan and hopped into the driver's seat.

"I'm sorry, D. I kinda got trapped in my bedsheets with my old man." Jolene smiled.

"Yeah, I figured Jax had something to do with it. At least you showed up, Jo. Mary's been dropping the ball lately." Donna threw the car into reverse and started backing out of the driveway. "They're having breakfast. Make sure Kenny brushes his teeth and that Ellie packs her book report. Love you! Bye!" She practically yelled out the window as she ripped down the street.

With about twenty minutes before the kids would officially be late for school, Jolene greeted them at the table. After making sure they had packed all their books and assignments, Jolene hurriedly rushed the twins into her car. Not having time to work on her own hair before running out of the house and leaving Jax in charge of Abel, Jolene decided she could brush out her tangled mane in between traffic lights.

_That's what I get for taking car_ _e of my old man's morning wood._

Jolene stopped in front of the school and jumped out of the car. She gave both Ellie and Kenny a tight squeeze and kiss before sending them off. They were practically running to the front entrance, turning and waving at her as a short and plump man in a suit approached her. He was probably gonna chide her for dropping them off late or tell her that she had to move her car, which she was planning to do anyway, as soon as she saw the Winston kids safely off into the school.

"Jolene Morrow?" He stopped in front of her.

Focusing on the familiar round face with the non-existent hairline, Jolene exclaimed, "Pat? Pat Doyle? OMG! What are you doing in Charming?"

Patrick laughed good-naturedly. "I just took over as Assistant Vice Principal here at Charming Elementary. David Hale mentioned you were back in town, but I told him I had to see it to believe it."

"Well, here I am." Playing dumb, Jolene continued. "I didn't realize that I was on Charming PD's radar."

"Don't kid yourself, Jolene. I think Dave has a soft spot for you." Patrick stated. Jolene smiled a little sadly. She knew that what David Hale had for her could not be termed as "soft."

Patrick continued. "To tell you the truth, I am kind of surprised to see you back here. After you went to San Diego, I heard from the Director that you had left without completing the program." Patrick had a little frown on his face. "I was very sorry to hear it."

Jolene sighed. "I know. I was surprised too, but when you unexpectedly have a baby, sometimes your plans have to change."

"Well, I guess congratulations are in order?" _Let me guess,_ Patrick wondered grimly, _twenty bucks as to who the father is_.

"Yes, I have a son. Abel's almost four years old now."

"So you and Jax Teller are together, I assume?" Pat said a little sharply.

Jolene's shoulders stiffened. "Am I that transparent?" She cared for Pat Doyle. He had been her college mentor and her biggest cheerleader, but she wasn't about to defend her relationship with the man she's loved for over half her life to anyone, especially not an outsider. "It was nice seeing you again."

As Jolene turned away, Pat reached out to touch her arm. "Jolene, I apologize. It is certainly none of my business how you manage your private affairs. I didn't mean to offend you." Quickly changing the subject, Pat asked, "Where are you teaching now?"

Jolene hedged. "I actually took off some time to help your uncle. After Luann died, Otto needed someone short term to help organize her business, so I've been helping out at Cara Cara on the administrative end for the last five months."

Patrick sighed. "I wasn't in California when Aunt Luann passed. I had an opportunity to teach English in Spain for six months and just returned states side. Mother never mentioned that you had returned to Charming and I lost track of you after you left San Diego. Have you been teaching at all?"

Jolene nodded. "Yes, I was teaching up in Redmond at a private boarding school. You might know it. Westbrook Academy?"

Patrick nodded, very impressed. "I know it well. That's a great school, highly selective when it comes to their student body as well as faculty. I'm not surprised at all that they hired you."

"They also fired me." At Pat's shocked look, Jolene decided to be upfront. "They may have been impressed with my credentials, but not so much with my single parenthood. They hired me anyway, but then my son went through a series of medical setbacks and I needed to be there for him. That, coupled with the fact that, out of the blue, my juvenile record came to light, sealed my fate at Westbrook. In spite of my qualifications, I was found to be in violation of the morals clause in my employment contract. The School Master fought for me, but the Board of Trustees overruled him and they let me go. I haven't been able to secure a teaching position since and a person can take only so much rejection before giving up."

"Jolene, that is a real shame and I am so sorry you were treated so unfairly." Pat protested. "This profession can certainly benefit from the amount of talent and dedication in your possession. However, Washington's loss is definitely California's gain. Have you been looking since moving back?"

"No. Losing a teaching position because of a morality issue is difficult to bounce back from. Westbrook has a far reach and I guess it's fair to assume that no one will give my resume a second look." Jolene replied.

Pat Doyle looked Jolene squarely in the eyes "I will, I will definitely look at it." At Jolene's gasp, Pat continued. "And I'll do one better. I'll get you a job."

Jolene was completely taken aback by the offer. It was certainly the last thing she ever expected to hear from Pat Doyle, especially after she abruptly left the graduate program he had worked so hard to get her into. Trying to control the emotion in her voice, Jolene said, "Pat, do you really think it's possible? I don't think I could handle any more rejection."

Pat straightened up to his full 5'6 inches. "Jolene, I'm still a member of the San Joaquin School Board." He advised, leaving the fact that he had plenty of pull in the county unsaid. "The the simple fact is we have a need for good teachers." Pat reached into his breast coat pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "Give me a number where I can reach you."

In a daze, Jolene gave him her cell phone number. Pat handed her his business card. "E-mail me your resume. _Today_." He emphasized. "I promise, I'll get back to you as soon as I have something."

* * *

After all of the shit that had gone down with Wendy and Ima, Jolene was feeling lighthearted and confident as she walked into the Clubhouse that afternoon.

_Finally, things are looking up._

Jolene had never really admitted to herself just how much her self-esteem had suffered when she had been dismissed from Westbrook. The Academy had a outstanding reputation in the world of academia and she had been proud of her accomplishments outside of the Club. Being able to take care of herself and Abel had meant a lot.

Jolene truly enjoyed teaching. She found that she was able to build a rapport with her students and encourage them to strive for something. Teaching wasn't easy and the pay wouldn't make her rich, but it had its own rewards.

When Jolene had tried finding a new position and had been stonewalled everywhere she turned, she soon realized that she had basically been black-balled in Washington. Once her criminal background had become common knowledge, Jolene realized that it would be unlikely that any reputable school in any school district would want to hire her. Now, Pat Doyle was giving her a second chance and she was intent on taking it.

Throwing her leather jacket on the pool table, Jolene hopped up on a bar stool. Smiling at Half-Sack, who was manning the bar, Jolene said with a lilt in her voice "Line them up Prospect. I'm celebrating!"

Half-Sack gave her a shy smile and quickly poured her a shot of tequila. "Good news?" He asked.

"Very good news!" Jolene replied throwing back her shot and slamming the glass on the bar.

"And what might that be?" Jolene turned to see Gemma walking towards her, a pile of invoices in one hand.

"Hey, if you're here, where's my baby?" Jolene cocked an eyebrow at her.

"With Neeta, of course. If I don't give her a few hours a day of bonding time with baby boy, she gets all bitchy. She was taking him to the park." Gemma explained. "So what's the big news?"

"Well, I wanted to tell Jax first, but I can't wait to share. Keep your fingers crossed, Gem." Jolene smiled happily. "You may be looking at the newest teacher at Charming Excelsior Prep!"

"The hell you say!"

Startled, Jolene looked over her shoulder to see her old man, with Juice in his wake, walking into the Clubhouse and, if his expression and manner was anything to go by, he was not pleased.

Towering over Jolene, Jax's blue eyes had turned glacial and Jolene felt a shiver run down her back.

Getting off the bar stool so that she didn't feel like a cowering mouse, Jolene put a hand on a cocked hip. "Yeah, the hell I do say. Patrick Doyle got me an interview with the school principal for this Friday." Jolene retorted. "And, if I get offered the job, I'm going to take it."

Gemma quickly interrupted. "Pat Doyle? Big Otto's nephew?"

Jolene nodded and started to speak, but Jax interrupted her. "Yeah, the same asshole that got her the San Diego scholarship. He may be Big Otto's nephew, but he's not SAMCRO and he's definitely not a friend of the Club."

"Asshole, huh? You didn't seem to have a problem with Pat when you went behind my back to keep the scholarship in play. You didn't mind that he was an outsider when you were using him to do your dirty work." Jolene shot back. "

Jax turned to Jolene. "So much for leaving the past behind us." He replied, his eyes flashing. "Besides, I thought you wanted to take time off, be an old lady and a mom for a while."

"I did."

"Then what the fuck, Jo? Why are we even having this conversation? Unless 'a while' means three days, you need to call Doyle and tell him thanks, but no thanks."

"You're asking me to turn him down?"

Jax was shaking his head, his nostrils flared. "I wasn't asking, darlin'."

Jolene was incredulous. "I'm not gonna turn him down, Jax."

"The hell you're not." He almost growled at her.

Jolene was dumbstruck. "Where is this coming from? We talked about how important teaching is to me. I thought you understood."

"I'm not having this discussion with you, Jo. It was bad enough having you work at Cara Cara. My hands were tied 'cause I was in the joint. I don't trust Pat Doyle and I'd rather see him dead than interfering in our lives again."

"All he did was offer me the chance to interview for a job doing something that I love that I may not even get anyway. That makes him suspect?"

Jax was glaring at her. "We're a tight circle, Jolene, you know this. Outsiders are always suspect." _And anyone that can take you away from me is doubly so_ , Jax thought.

"You're making absolutely no sense," Jolene began.

Jax knew that he wasn't, but he wasn't about to explain himself. The fact was that despite having Jolene back in his life, Jax was still dealing some feelings of insecurity. While in some ways Jolene was the same woman he had known four years ago, there were just as many ways that she wasn't.

In the back of his mind, Jax had always believed that Jolene never really belonged in the MC world, that she was way out of his league, and now that she was back home and with him, he was determined not to let her form any attachments that could possibly pull her away from him and their son. It was one thing for her to work at Cara Cara, under the aegis of the Club. It was something totally different for her to work where he had no control or authority. He knew he was being selfish, but he simply didn't give a shit.

"Tough shit!" Jax replied angrily, taking Jolene by surprise. "As your old man, I could be a babbling fuckin' idiot, but you still have to do as I say and I say stay away from Pat Doyle."

Although she knew better, Jolene looked beseechingly at Gemma for a little support. Finding her stoned-face and grim, Jolene turned back to Jax. "He's giving me a chance to teach again in spite of everything." She nearly pleaded, but Jax was unmoved. "Do you realize how hard it's been keeping the stink of the MC from ruining everything I touch?" She asked angrily.

"You don't mean that, sweetheart." Gemma stated.

_Is it any wonder that the first opinion Gemma decided to share went towards placating her son?_

"The hell I don't!" Jolene said, fighting back the urge to cry.

"Well, let's just stop and take a breath before someone says something they regret." Gemma reasoned, rubbing Jolene's shoulder soothingly.

"Ignore her, Mom," Jax said, grabbing the bottle of whiskey from the bar and pouring himself a drink. "She's just a spoiled brat with entitlement issues." He knocked back the generous shot in one gulp.

Jolene looked at Jax like he had just slapped her. "Fuck you." Unable to stop her tears from finally falling, she grabbed her purse from the bar and headed for the exit.

Jax watched her leave with a clenched jaw, fighting the urge to run after her.

"Jax," Gemma started. "What the hell was that all about?" Ignoring Gemma's question, he reached for the bottle of Jack and poured himself another shot.

"Holy shit! You're doing it again." Gemma started. Jax glared at his mother as he downed the other shot. "You're pushing her away. Why, Jackson? Why would you do that to her again?"

Slamming the bottle of whiskey down on the bar, Jax angrily retorted, "I just got Jolene back. I'm not about to lose her again!"

"Really, Jax? Really? Because I'm telling you, issuing demands to Jolene Morrow is not the way to keep her, especially with your current issues with other women. If I were you, I would seriously rethink your position and soon," Gemma said as she marched out of the Clubhouse. "Before you lose her and my grandson!"

* * *

Juice had felt pretty uncomfortable watching the bitter exchange between Jax and Jolene, but like a bystander watching a car wreck, he just couldn't look away.

Juice couldn't be happier that his brother had returned from prison with his mind and body whole. Out of all of his brothers, it was Jax who had seen something worthy in him. Juice had worked as a mechanic at T-M for two years before Jax invited him to prospect for the Club and, because of him, he had been allowed to join the SAMCRO family. Jax had given the aimless young man a reason to get up in the mornings and with it came a sense of belonging he never felt within the fold of his own biological family. Juice was always looking for ways to show his appreciation to Jax for his mentoring.

When Juice had been unable to help Jax find Jolene, he had considered it a personal failure. Although he felt that Jax had no one to blame but himself for chasing Jolene away and living in a prison of his own making, it was emotionally devastating to stand by and watch his brother and friend slowly kill himself. Jax's grief affected everyone around him and even though life went on, the Clubhouse was never the same after the SAMCRO Princess was gone.

Now seeing Jax about to repeat the same mistakes he had made in the past, he felt compelled to speak up and give Jax a wake up call before he shot himself in the foot.

"I can't believe you're being such an asshole."

Jax turned his head to angrily stare at Juice, who was walking towards him with a grim look on his face. "What the hell do you know?"

"I can only tell you what I think and I used to think you were the smartest one around here, but after what I just heard, shit, man, it sucks that you're proving me wrong." Juice replied. "What I _do_ know is that you're about to fuck up all over again with your old lady and for the life of me I can't figure out why. You do realize that Clay will kill you this time for messing up."

Jax growled, "My reasons are my own and I don't have to explain them to you."

"Oh, yeah you do!" Juice countered to Jax's great shock. "Seven years ago you stood outside this Clubhouse and asked your brothers to protect and defend Jolene as faithfully and ferociously as we would protect you, and right now bro, you need somebody to protect you from doing yourself and your old lady the worst disservice I could possibly imagine."

Jax gave the Prospect behind the bar the stink-eye until Half-Sack finally got the message. Mumbling something about needing to check the liquor stock in the supply room, Half-Sack awkwardly excused himself as he left hurriedly.

Leaning against the bar, Juice put a hand on Jax's shoulder. "Bro, you just got Jolene back and you two have a beautiful son together. Gemma's right and whatever shit's weighing you down, you need to work it out. Jolene's had to put up with a lot of bullshit since she came back and after the mess with Wendy and Ima, it's obvious that it's taking a toll on her."

Ignoring Jax's clenched jaw and flared nostrils, Juice continued. "Now, I ain't no Dr. Phil, but it seems to me like you're dealing with leftover emotional baggage from your first go around with Jo. Bottom line, dude, you better quash it, before you lose the only woman you're ever gonna love." Juice slapped Jax on his shoulder as he turned from the bar.

"For good."

* * *

Opie opened the front door even before the roar of Jax's bike had died down. Meeting his lifelong friend that he loved more like a brother halfway to the front door, Opie threw his arms around Jax in a combination hug, back slap, and shoulder bump.

"She's in the backyard with Donna and the kids." Opie started.

"Thanks for the head's up, bro." Jax started as they made their way inside. "She's not answering her phone."

"She is _pissed_ , brother." Opie laughed. "I still think it'd be smarter to sleep on it, give her more time to cool off."

"I appreciate the concern, Ope," Jax smiled. "But I've spent too many nights without her in my bed and I've got to make things right."

"I hope you can because she's gonna have both our sets of balls on a key chain when she sees you," Opie kidded as they walked through the dining room and into the backyard. "But something tells me you like it rough."

"Yeah, that I do." Jax patted his friend on the back.

Jolene was sitting at the patio table with Donna, laughing and playing a board game with Kenny and Ellie over a plate of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies. Jax could see Jolene's sudden intake of breath as she physically restrained herself from letting the obscenities fly as she made eye contact with him.

"I told you I heard his bike." She barely whispered to Donna. "I guess that no snitching policy doesn't extend to cover _former_ old ladies." Jolene glared at Opie.

Turning to face each other, Opie and Jax winced at the dig she managed to aim at the two of them. "She _is_ pissed." Jax said.

"I warned ya." Opie reminded him.

"I got your back, Ope." Jax started, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "You know what they say, bros before 'hoes."

Donna swallowed the guffaw that threatened to leap out of her throat as Jolene's jaw practically hit the ground.

Seeing the murderous sparkle in Jolene's green eyes, Opie shook his head. "You are on your own with that one, Jax. I have enough sense to know what that look means." Without stepping any closer into Jolene's orbit, Opie called out to Donna. "I think it's time for bed." He said, indicating the kids.

"Aww, Mom!" Both Ellie and Kenny whined at Donna.

Donna gave Jolene a sympathetic smile and a pat on her hand as she pushed her chair away from the table. "It's getting late." She motioned for her kids to follow her. "Besides, Auntie Jo's ride is here." She teased.

"Traitor." Jolene mouthed at Donna as she hugged her two little peanuts goodnight.

"I love you, too . . . darlin'." Donna smirked at her friend.

"You're lucky he's probably gonna drag me outta here," Jolene said as she pulled Donna towards her for a hug. "Or you'd be a widow by morning." She said loud enough for Opie to catch.

"Can I get you a beer or something?" Opie asked with false hospitality, shaking his head the whole time.

Jax laughed. "Nah, I'm good, bro. We'll show ourselves out if you wanna put your kids to bed." He offered.

"Thanks," Opie clapped Jax on the shoulder of his cut. "And good luck."

"You are _so_ gonna need it." Donna laughed as she passed by Jax on her way inside.

Jax waited until Opie and his family were inside, safe and away from the shrapnel that was sure to fly when the shit pile he had managed to create regarding Jolene exploded.

"I come in peace." Jax said, holding his hand up in the air, his middle and index fingers in a V-formation.

"And you might be leaving in pieces." Jolene crossed her arms under her chest, inadvertently pushing up her cleavage.

"Ahhh," Jax beamed at her, enjoying the view. "At least you're talking to me. That's a good thing, right?" He crossed the yard, stopping at the lawn chair Jolene was sitting in.

"I wasn't so much talking to you as I was threatening you. Big difference." Jolene responded, refusing to make eye contact with him.

"Come on, darlin," Jax extended his hand towards her, lightly brushing her hair, his hand dropping to cop a furtive feel of her full breast before reaching for her hand. "Let's go get Abel and go home."

Unable to believe he had just squeezed her boob, Jolene slowly turned her head to look up at Jax and was met by one of his cheeky, sexy grins.

_Nope, not gonna happen._

"Why should I go home with a man who has no respect for something that was such a huge part of my life and that I could possibly get the chance to do again?"

Jax knelt beside her and, grabbing her face in his hands, kissed her, catching Jolene off guard. "Darlin', it's not that I don't respect you. I love you and I can take care of you."

"I don't need taking care of, Jax." Jolene insisted, a little breathless from their kiss. "All I need, all I've ever wanted is an old man that treats me with the same love and respect I have for him. I don't deserve to be dictated to like I'm one of your damn groupie croweaters or, worse yet, your junkie skank of a ex-wife." Her eyes were flashing, forcing Jax to smile as he realized how much he had missed the fire in her.

Shit, that fire could burn him in so many different ways. It could warm his soul so that no matter where they were, he always felt at home in her arms. Or it could singe the hair right off his body in one of her fits of rage. Or, his all-time favorite, she'd get so hot and fiery, especially after long runs, that he'd spend days quenching that fire within her to the point where he could hardly remember his name. Sex was always hottest when she had a little flare in her eyes. He'd consider himself a very lucky man if he could get her horny tonight while she was still pissed at him.

"You mean junkie skank of a _wife_. We're still legally married." Jax corrected, trying unsuccessfully to keep himself from smiling ear-to-ear. As Jolene glared at him, Jax pulled her in for another longer, harder, hungrier kiss.

"Stop that!" She swatted at him when he finally let her come up for air. "You're an asshole, you know that? How am I supposed to stay mad at you if you keep slipping me the tongue?"

"I'll slip you something else as soon as you forgive me for being an asshole." Jax winked at her. He could see she was fighting really hard to stay mad, which meant he just might walk out of Ope's with his balls intact.

"Leave it to you to perv up an apology." Jolene mumbled as she re-crossed her arms under her chest. Jax bit his lip at the sight of her tits popping out of her shirt again.

 _She's doing that on purpose_ , he thought to himself.

Two can play that game.

"Only because I love showing you how much I love you." Jax grabbed one of her hands and brought it to the crotch of his jeans.

"Jesus, Jax!" Jolene exclaimed, doing next to nothing to pull her hand away. "Do you walk around with a permanent erection?"

"Pretty much." Jax smiled, standing up and pulling her along with him. "I can't stop thinking about you, Jo. You're the reason my balls have been aching all afternoon. You realize how painful that is, with me at the Clubhouse and you, hiding out at Ope's."

"Oh, poor you. You couldn't find someone else to ease your aching balls?" Jolene challenged with mock sympathy all the while wrapping her arms around his neck. "What, the plague finally wipe out that murder of croweaters constantly up your ass?"

Jax laughed. "You'd like that, huh?" He asked and Jolene innocently shrugged her shoulders. "They've seen you in action. They don't want any part of you. Besides, when are you gonna understand that my dick's in constant go-mode only because of you, darlin'?"

"That's really classy, Teller." Jolene was barely able to say before Jax swooped in for another round of tonsil hockey.

He pulled away and ran both his hands over her silken black curls. "I'm sorry I was such a prick before." He said quietly, the humor in his brilliant blue eyes fading and Jolene could sense his whole demeanor changing. "It's taking me a minute to process some shit, but just know it wasn't you I was pissed at. I didn't mean what I said."

"Then what is it, Jax? Something up with the Club?" Jolene asked, already unable to remember the words that had cut her like a knife and concern etched in her beautiful face.

Jax was shaking his head. "Nah, it's nothing about the Club. I don't wanna talk about it now, okay?" He asked, his eyes searching her face. "Let's go back to the Clubhouse." At Jolene's inquiring look, Jax cajoled, "It's closer than the townhouse and Abel's safe at Mom's. Right now, I just wanna be with you, baby, inside you, in every way possible."

Jolene giggled. "Shit, it's gonna be a long night, huh?"

"If it was up to me, it'd never end." Jax replied, his smile a little sad.

* * *

The chill permeating the room woke Jolene up slightly before dawn. Gently yanking the blanket to cover her nakedness, she pulled herself up into a sitting position against the headboard. If his steady, deep breathing was any indication, Jax was out cold. He was laying on his side turned towards her, finally exhausted into a deep sleep after exorcising whatever it was that was plaguing him by keeping her up all night. She brought the covers up to his shoulder and fought the urge to drop a kiss on his beautiful, perfectly shaped lips, afraid that she would wake him up.

There was something definitely weighing heavy on her old man's mind. There had been a sense of urgency in the way he had made love to her last night. So much so that Jolene knew she would burst into tears if she had held onto that feeling for much longer. The way he had held her and kissed her and told her that he loved her was just too reminiscent of the last time they'd been together before she had left Charming. No, Jolene thought, covering her face with her hands before running them through her tangled mass of curls. Whatever demons were chasing after him, he would just have to stop running and fight them, with her standing by his side.

With the chill proving too much to bear, Jolene quietly slipped out of bed. She padded softly to the other side of the room to close the window, the heat they had created the night before having dissipated with the orange glow of the rising sun. Searching the dresser drawers, Jolene found an old pair of grey sweatpants, which she ever so gratefully pulled on before throwing on Jax's hoodie with "SON" emblazoned on the front. Digging up the thickest pair of wool socks she could find, Jolene practically tiptoed out of the room after pulling them on.

Making her way past JT's bike and into the Main Room of the Clubhouse, Jolene wasn't surprised to find several bodies in various stages of undress strewn about the room, including Juice and two anonymous croweaters intertwined on the pool table. Damn, she and Jax must have missed out on one helluva party last night, judging by the holy mess, lost to the world in each other's arms.

"Hey, Kitten," Bobby greeted her as she stepped into the kitchen. His voice was hoarse and he was still wearing the white sequined jumpsuit and pompadour wig of his alter ego, Bobby Elvis, both a little worse for wear and looking slept in. "Perfect timing. I was just about to throw on a pot of coffee to go with these." He said, tossing her a crumpled paper bag.

Jolene opened the bag and inhaled. "Holy shit, blueberry muffins."

"Wild blueberries, sweetheart, all organic." Bobby said proudly. "You're the only one around here who appreciates shit like that. Brought them over yesterday afternoon before leaving for Tahoe but you had gone AWOL."

"Yeah, a bad time was to be had by all at the Casa de Sons yesterday." Jolene said, picking at the crunchy bits on one of the muffin tops.

"Anything you wanna talk about?" Bobby asked as he went about gathering what he needed to make the coffee and clean mugs to drink it in.

"Maybe," Jolene slid onto the stool between the sink and the stove, with the paper bag tucked under her arm, and a giant muffin in her hand. "If I knew what the hell happened to trigger it all."

"You and Jax?" He asked, scratching his head through the wig, finally giving up and yanking it off his head.

Jolene nodded. "He kinda went ape shit on me for talking to Pat Doyle. Remember him?" She asked.

Bobby nodded, his glasses precariously perched on the end of his nose and threatening to jump off as he carefully measured water into the carafe before pouring it into the coffee maker. "Big Otto's nephew. An uptight little shit if there ever was one."

"Yeah, that seems to be the consensus around here." Jolene replied sarcastically, breaking off a chunk of muffin top and popping it into her mouth, deciding she couldn't wait for the coffee. "Oh, yum." She said, as her tummy growled in approval. Realizing she was famished, Jolene popped another piece into her mouth. "Anyway, we both had our turn at throwing a tantrum before we finally came together last night and now all is forgiven."

_I think._

Bobby stopped what he was doing and looked at his goddaughter over his glasses before chuckling at her unfortunate choice of words.

Jolene shook her head, a slight pink staining her cheeks. "You know what I mean, Uncle Elvis."

"Why you talking to that rat-faced, pencil-pushing geek anyway?" Bobby leaned against the counter opposite Jolene with his arms crossed, waiting for the coffee to brew.

"That rat-faced geek offered me a job, not pushing pencils but actually teaching." Jolene explained. "To hear Jax, you'd think he'd offered to finance my career in porn, which is silly considering that I just quit porn."

"He might as well have. Fuck, he could have offered you a job flipping burgers and Jax would have still gone ape shit." Bobby started. "Let's face it, Kit. Jax doesn't want anyone taking care of his responsibilities, especially an outsider like Pat Doyle."

"I'm not his responsibility to take care of." Jolene replied, frustrated that she was hearing this for the second time in less than 24 hours. Bobby laughed out loud. "Bobby! I can take care of myself. I did it for four years without him or the Club."

"The worst four years of his life." Bobby added. "Trust me, he knows you can take care of yourself. He's proud of that. Jax respects strong women, but you're his darlin', his old lady from the word go. Unless he's in prison or dead, ain't no one taking care of what's his. Don't let his confident swagger fool you. When it comes to the Club, he knows how to handle his shit. He's probably the best VP I've ever come across. But when it comes to you, Jax is all types of fucked up in the head, can't get his head and his heart facing the same direction. I can heat that up for you if you want." He offered, pointing at her muffin now completely devoid of a top.

Jolene handed Bobby the half-eaten muffin and watched as he sliced it in half and threw it into the toaster oven. "I don't get it, Bobby. I'm not the one that up and married someone else. Seriously, that was a mind-fuck of epic proportions. How come he gets to be the one that's fucked in the head?"

"Aside from the MC, you were the one thing he could not live without, and it scared the shit out of him. He'd already lost his baby brother and father and then some piece of crap comes along and puts two slugs in your chest, and on top of that, the man who was supposed to have his back, a brother, was behind it all. You wanna talk mind-fucks, sweetheart? Those bullets were meant for him. He banged Wendy in Reno to protect you from himself and what better way to do that than by making you hate him? He chose to live without you because he couldn't live in a world without you in it. He loves you, there's no denying that. Most men would be too selfish to give you up like that." He explained.

Jolene was shaking her head. "We both know the risks involved. Shit, he was shot too that night. The last thing I wanted was to lose my old man, but I've always known, _we both know_ that's a risk that comes with being a patch. Something else is clawing at him, but he didn't want to talk about it last night. He's using Pat Doyle to push me away, I just know it."

Bobby was spreading some butter on her now-toasted muffin before putting it on a plate and handing it to her. "Eat," He demanded. "And stop reading too much into Jax's behavior. You'll just end up driving each other crazy. Just know that you coming back to Charming turned the light back on in him. He's not gonna push you away, he can't live like that again. If something's on his mind, don't worry, he'll let you know. Just give him time to organize the noise in his head."

Jolene put her plate down on the stove, jumped off the stool, and into Bobby's arms. "Life would be so much easier if I just did what you told me."

"Can I get that in writing?" Bobby smiled as he pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"Have I ever told you how much I love ya?" She hugged him, her arms wrapped around his ample waist.

"Not nearly enough, Kit." Bobby hugged her back. "Now, eat!" He demanded and Jolene hopped back onto the stool to finish her breakfast.

* * *

Jolene opened the door to Jax's dorm ever-so-gently with one hand while trying to balance a coffee mug with a plate on top holding a muffin with the other. Expecting to find him still asleep, Jolene was startled to find him about to jump into some jeans.

"Where you going?" She asked, with a pout, setting his breakfast down on the dresser. She had been hoping to provide him with some fuel for energy before jumping on his bone again. There were two tried and true ways to get a man to open up: feed him and fuck him.

Probably reading her mind, Jax threw his jeans back onto the floor and nearly ripped the t-shirt he had put on off his back. "I was coming after you, again." He smiled, pulling her into his arms. With his hands on the back of her neck and buried in her hair, he leaned into her and kissed her thoroughly enough to make her sweat.

Waking up without her wrapped in his arms almost had him believing that the past couple of weeks had all been a dream and it took him a minute to process that fact that he wasn't still in Chino. His exhausted mind was playing games with him and he had nearly scared the shit out of himself, convinced Jolene had never really returned to Charming and that she was gone for good.

"I brought you some breakfast," Jolene closed her eyes as he grabbed her ass and pulled her flush against his body. She could feel him raring to go through the thin material of his boxers.

"Thanks, darlin'," He was kissing her neck. "But I'd rather eat you."

Jolene giggled against his mouth as he kissed her again. Was it any wonder why she'd stopped wearing underwear altogether?

Before she knew what was happening, Jolene was laying on the bed, stripped of her sweats and writhing on her back, with Jax's face buried between her legs. All too aware of the sleeping bodies in the Clubhouse and that Bobby was still hanging out in the kitchen, but on the verge of not giving a fuck, Jolene grabbed a pillow and covered her face. With her screams now muffled, she cut loose as wave after delicious wave rolled over her.

"Oh my God!" Jolene moaned as Jax pulled himself up over her, yanking the pillow off her face and tossing it onto the floor.

"You're welcome." He gave her a cheeky grin as he brought her legs up around his waist and buried himself deep in her moist heat. Grabbing onto his hair, Jolene pulled him towards her to kiss him as he pumped his hips into her.

Jax had rarely ever told Jolene he loved her during sex. Even though he had no problem telling her how much he loved her outside the bedroom, or even before or after, Jax was afraid the feelings behind those words would sound insincere coming out of his mouth as he was about to bust a nut. But the events of the past few years had rendered his filter useless as he told her over and over how much he loved her as he felt her tighten around his dick.

"I love you too, baby," Jolene whispered, holding his face lovingly while searching his eyes for something. Afraid she'd find what she was looking for, Jax buried his face in the crook of her neck as his thrusting quickened, bringing them both crashing into each other. Collapsing on top of her, Jolene wrapped her arms around Jax and hugged him to her. She knew something was wrong, Jax could tell.

Gently rolling onto the mattress, Jax settled on the pillow pushed up against the headboard and reached for his cigarettes on the bedside table. Flipping onto her stomach, Jolene watched as he lit up a smoke and exhaled slowly while pinching the bridge of his nose, still avoiding eye contact.

"So, you wanna tell me why you lost it yesterday?" Jolene said softly, running her hand over his muscled arm until she reached his hand and tangled her fingers with his.

Jax sighed and turned his head to look Jolene in the face. "I love you, Jo."

"I know, baby."

"No, you don't. Not really." Jax reached over and snuffed his barely-smoked cigarette in the ashtray on the night stand before pulling Jolene into his arms. Cradling her against his chest, Jax dipped his head and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "Even before you left Charming for good, I regretted everything I had done to force you to leave, but a part of me knew that you never really belong with me in the first place."

Jolene raised her hand to stroke his cheek. "How can you possibly think that?" She challenged. "Jax, there is absolutely no one else in this world for me but you."

Jax smiled a little sadly. "You're so incredibly smart, Jo. You're a rarity around here." He started, but Jolene was shaking her head. "Yeah, you are. There were times that I literally couldn't figure out why you were with me. You could be anything you wanted, be with anyone you wanted. You finished college in three years. I dropped out of high school, barely managed to get my G.E.D."

"Jax, where is this coming from?" Jolene asked, her eyes wide. "This is not like you."

"It's always been there, Jo, in the back of my mind. Every time you went to the next level, I was afraid that you wouldn't need me anymore. That you would eventually outgrow me and leave me behind. So when the shooting happened, I took it as a sign that you really didn't belong in my world."

"You realize you were wrong, right?"

Jax shook his head. "I thought I could do it, live without you, but it was hell on earth. I remember telling you a long time ago that there was nobody I loved that much to go off the ledge for, to die for. That was true until you, darlin'. I wanted to die without you. Now that you're back, with my divorce stalled and Pat Doyle waiving a teaching job in your face, I was afraid that you'd realize just how fucked up I am and leave me again, taking Abel with you. I can't do it, Jo." Jax looked at Jolene with emotion flooding his eyes. "I can't ever let you leave me again."

Jolene rested her forehead against Jax's and sighed. "Baby, look at me." Jax looked at her and saw the love and determination pouring out of her eyes. "I will never leave you. There is nothing, no one, that could make me do it. It took a long time for me to find my way back to you, Jax. We belong together, I have always known this." Jolene lovingly cupped his face in her hands. "But as much as I love you and Abel, I need something that's for me, and me alone. Teaching does that for me. This is a chance that I might not get again and I don't want to let it go, but if you really want me too, I will. I will do whatever it takes to make you realize that I am here for the long haul."

Jax closed his eyes. _How I love this woman_ , he thought.

"No." Jax finally said, the smile on his face brightening his eyes. "You're right, darlin'. You need to take the job."

* * *

Taking a break from working on a Buick's transmission, Jax leaned against the doorjamb and watched as his old lady flitted around T-M's office. Jolene was totally engrossed in the mundane task of organizing a file cabinet that has never once been in any coherent order that Jax could remember. She was wearing a figure-hugging black pencil skirt, a white, wide collared dress shirt, and a sexy pair of 3-inch heels. Teachers were never that hot when he was in school.

"I thought you had an interview today, darlin'," Jax said, startling Jolene. Holding a stack of thirteen year old invoices against her wildly beating heart, Jolene turned towards him with a slight smile.

"Have you been stalking me, Teller?" She teased as Jax crossed the room. Taking the invoices out of her hands and dropping them on the desk behind her, he pulled her into his arms.

"You know it." He smiled, kissing her solidly on the lips.

Jolene yelped and playfully pushed him away as she felt his hands firmly cupping and squeezing her ass. "Hey, hey, save that for after my interview. This skirt wrinkles like a bitch."

"So the meeting with the school is today?" Jax asked and Jolene nodded. "Then why you hanging around the garage, darlin?"

"I had a couple of hours to kill and I need to keep busy." Jolene explained, turning her attention back to the file cabinet. "My OCD is kicking in big time. I get a little anal when I'm nervous."

"Did you just ask me for a little anal?" Jax teased. Jolene balled up an old invoice and flung it at him.

"My dad's working not ten feet from where you're standing, shithead." Jolene said in mock horror.

"Well, you're the one distracting the mechanics with these hot-for-teacher fantasies running through their heads."

Jolene laughed. "Really? I only see one mechanic who's distracted."

"Yeah, well, you can smack me with a ruler anytime, baby."

"I just might take you up on that," Jolene giggled as Jax pulled her towards him again.

"Come with me, darlin'," Jax nuzzled her neck. "Let me take you to lunch."

"If by lunch you mean nooner," Jolene started, wiggling her eyebrows knowingly at him.

"No." Jax said simply, even though a nooner wasn't a half-bad idea. She could use the tension relief and he wouldn't mind seeing her naked, again. Jax was sure there was an iron somewhere in the Clubhouse. "I actually meant lunch as in eating a mid-day meal in a restaurant."

"I wish I could take you up on both, baby but I'm meeting Pat for lunch before the interview." Jolene replied.

As Jax rolled his eyes, Jolene replied sharply, "Now don't tie your boxers in a knot. It's just to give me some pointers before my interview with my former high school principal, no less."

Jax quirked an eyebrow at her. "Whatshisname is still there?"

"Yep. If I'm lucky, Mr. Petersen has forgotten me completely. With my luck, however, he'll remember nothing about me except for my bat-swinging days before he boots me out of his office, but Pat seems to think I have a good shot. They need someone to take over the Math Lab in order to prepare a pack of jocks for a state test in a few weeks. With the majority flunking, the Sanwa School Board is threatening to yank funding for the sports program at Excelsior Prep. If I impress, I may land a permanent position next semester."

"Well, Petersen is a fuckin' idiot if he doesn't hire you. What better way to get a bunch of horny teenage boys to pay attention in class?"

"Oh, really?"

"Hell's yeah! You're fucking hot, babe. I might have graduated high school if I had a couple of teachers that looked like you." Jax kidded.

Jolene laughed, remembering her old principal as uptight and conservative, making Pat Doyle seem like SAMCRO material. "Oh boy, somehow I don't think that kind of knowledge will help me land this gig."

"If this Petersen guy has a dick it will." Jax flashed her a cheesy grin, as he ignored her pleas for clemency on her skirt and pulled her into his arms again.

Jolene giggled as Jax's mouth landed on hers, forcing her to mumble, "You're a class act, Teller."


	9. Forever Yours . . . Again

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

Sitting on his bike smoking a cigarette outside Excelsior Prep, Jax couldn't believe what he was doing. He had been more than just a little distracted all morning as he chewed over what Bobby's boy Aaron had told him before leaving the Clubhouse for school with Jolene. Jax didn't know what was worse—him second-guessing himself or the fact that his Club Brothers were giving him shit for obsessing over a bunch of hormonal and pimply-faced teenagers. Yet, here he was, sitting on his bike waiting for school to let out so he could see with his own eyes his old lady's new fan club.

According to Aaron, Jolene had a fan base of epic proportions at school. Since starting her job running a Math Lab for the testosterone-filled jocks, whose failing grades were threatening to end Excelsior Prep's legendary sports program, other nerdy and preppie students had been lining up for the privilege of getting into one of Jolene's Labs. Teaching four 90-minute Math Labs a day, Miss Morrow's class was the hottest ticket at Excelsior. With space severely limited, a maximum capacity of only twenty students allowed per lab, most students, especially the ones not in danger of failing, were getting turned away.

Aaron said that Jolene was officially the "hottest teacher in school." Unfortunately, Aaron didn't see fit to stop there.

"I don't see how most of those jocks are gonna pass any state test. Most are only interested in scoring with Jolene." Aaron smirked, unknowingly signing the death warrant of any punk bold enough to make a move on the new teacher. Seeing the murderous gleam in Jax's eyes, Bobby slapped his son on the back of his head.

Deep down, Jax knew that he really had nothing to worry about. His old lady went out of her way to make her love for him known. With Jax doing his part to keep Jolene flexible, she had no need to go looking for dick any place else because she had all she could handle with him. However, being apart from Jolene for so long and his recent stretch in Chino had done a number on him. Never one to suffer from self-esteem issues, his lack of confidence manifested itself in making him a tad bit possessive. If Jax was honest with himself, he would admit to being just this side shy of obsessed. Sitting on his bike with his most menacing Grrr-face on, it finally dawned on Jax that he may have slipped over the border and completely into Stalker Town.

It was taking him a minute to compartmentalize and stifle his insecurities. Only another man, a brother, could understand how difficult it was to be supportive of an old lady that had proven herself capable enough not to need him for shit, except for some regular lovin'. And as gorgeous as Jolene was, she didn't need him for that either 'cause she could certainly have her choice of men.

Time traveling in his head and remembering just how hot Jolene had been as a teenager in her little school girl uniform didn't help matters either. As an adult woman in her mid-twenties, Jolene was something else altogether. She was the kind of woman that caught your eye with her beauty, but kept your attention with her brain.

 _Fuck_!

Jax rubbed his face with both hands in frustration. Instead of sitting here, stewing over some horny teenagers, he really needed to find a way to settle the score with Hale. Between handling his VP duties on behalf of the Club, dealing with his divorce, and house hunting with his old lady, Jax still hadn't found the opportunity to confront Hale about his ongoing interest in Jolene.

_But nah. Here I am, making sure that there is no doubt in the minds of Jolene's young students that she is the property of one Jax Teller. In hindsight, I should have put that damn crow tat on her forehead._

Jax's thoughts were diverted for a moment, however, when he realized that the number of students currently parading up and down the sidewalk had increased significantly. He grinned as he noted that the very young and nubile females of Excelsior Prep were putting themselves on display just for him, which was a complete waste of time. None of them could hold a candle to Jolene, back in the day at their age or now.

Just then, the doors of the school flew open and a large number of giant mutant teenaged boys, all wearing varsity jackets sporting the school's colors of red and orange, exited the building.

Looking at them, his first thought was, _those are fuckin' men, not boys._

Jax's ire rose as he saw Jolene, smack dab in the middle of them. She was dressed a little more conservatively for her position as a molder of young minds these days, but she was still, like he told young Kenny many years ago, "hot as fuck."

Wearing a dark fitted turtleneck that clung to every curve, black slacks, sexy high-heeled biker boots, and her favorite fitted leather jacket, Jolene made a striking appearance. Other than her purse, she wasn't carrying anything else as one dweeb was holding her laptop and a large mountain with curly brown hair was holding her messenger bag. With her long, dark hair whipping around her in the breeze, the group of young men surrounding Jolene were hanging onto her every word as she energetically related a story to her student body, when suddenly loud and boisterous laughter erupted from the entire group. However, the closer Jolene got to Jax, the quieter the group of males became as they observed the menacing blond biker sitting next to Miss Morrow's Mustang.

Without warning, Jolene found her laptop being shoved into her arms as Tyler mumbled something about being late for football practice. The rest of the boys scattered like cockroaches, with the only one stoically remaining by her side being the lumbering linebacker of the Excelsior Wildcats.

As Jolene saw her old man parked next to her car, she rolled her eyes.

_I see my entourage had good reason to flee for their lives._

Her old man was sitting on his bike with a ferocious grin on his face as he lit a cigarette. Jolene was smiling as she walked towards him when a long-legged redheaded student wearing a skintight school uniform boldly walked right in front of her to talk to Jax.

"Hey, sweetie. You got a light?" The girl purred as she held up a long, slim girly-looking cigarette to Jax's face.

Before he could respond, Jolene approached the girl from behind and, using her thumb and middle finger, flicked the cigarette right out of the girl's hand.

"There's no smoking on school property." The look on his old lady's face all too familiar, Jax discreetly flicked his own cigarette away. Nodding towards Jax, Jolene said softly, "And trespassing on _my property_ will get you demerits of the physical kind."

The girl, meeting Jolene's cold, hard stare, scrambled away and back to her group of similarly dressed dolls.

"Hey, darlin'." Jax smiled mischievously.

With her hand cocked on her hip, Jolene said, "Don't darlin' me. Why are you here, whipping my students into a frenzy?"

"Hey, my intentions are noble," Jax started with a half-truth. "I thought we could go from here to the realtor's office together." Jax looked over her shoulder to see the large teenager, who was still holding his old lady's messenger bag standing behind her. "Who's this?" He asked, falling back into menacing-mode.

"This is Phil Russell." Jolene smiled. "Phil, this is my old man, Jax Teller."

"My squad calls me 'Filthy Phil'." The giant teenager smiled as he held out his hand to Jax.

Giving the boy a hard stare, Jax waited a full ten seconds before extending a gloved hand. Wincing slightly at the boy's killer grip, Jax flexed his fingers gently so that the blood could start circulating again.

Deciding to put the fear of God into the boy, Jax growled softly. "I hope you aren't giving my old—Miss Morrow—any problems."

Stuttering slightly, the boy quickly replied, "Uh, no, sir. Not at all. Miss Morrow wouldn't stand for it. Besides, she's the best teacher I ever had. Because of her the whole squad is going to pass math and the school won't lose our team."

Jolene smiled fondly at the young man that towered over her. "That's sweet, Phil, but you boys have done all the hard work and it's gonna pay off come test time. You especially have come a long way and I'm so proud of you."

The boy blushed a bright shade of pink. Jax rolled his eyes slightly as Filthy Phil handed Jolene her messenger bag.

"I better head off. I got practice." Nodding to Jax, he said, "It was really nice meeting you. I have to say, that's a really sweet ride you have."

Jax narrowed his eyes at the awkward young man, thinking he meant "ride" as in his old lady. Quickly realizing that the young man was eyeing his bike, Jax grinned at the kid.

 _He's nothing but a teddy bear. A fuckin' ginormous teddy bear_.

Feeling magnanimous, Jax asked, "You ever ride before?"

"Sure have. My Dad has a 1942 Indian Scout 500 in mint condition and he lets me ride sometimes, but I love Harleys."

"Maybe you'll stop by the Clubhouse sometime, check out some real beauties."

Filthy Phil's eyes lit up. "I'd really like that."

As he turned to head towards Excelsior Prep's football field, Jolene sauntered over to her man. "Aww, that was so sweet, baby. I didn't know you had it in ya."

Wrapping an arm around his old lady, Jax grinned. "It was either that or beat Paul Bunyan down. Somehow, I don't think I would have survived the exchange."

Jolene ran her hand over his face and bent down to kiss his lips gently. "Hey, nobody can take my old man." She whispered against his lips before kissing him again. Pulling away from Jax, who thought about not letting her go, Jolene bent down to retrieve her laptop and messenger bags. "Let's get out of here. Maybe today will be the day and we'll finally find the house of our dreams."

* * *

Jolene pulled into the Morrows' driveway. It had been a productive day at Excelsior Prep, but she was exhausted. All she wanted to do was pick up Abel, go home to her old man, and veg out in front of the boob tube, making out like a couple of horny teenagers. Instead, she was going to spend most of the night preparing for the final pre-testing session for the Wildcats. The State exam was this Friday and if they didn't all pass, Excelsior Prep would lose their funding for the sports program and Jolene could kiss any chance of snagging a permanent position goodbye.

She was half way up the walkway when Neeta opened the door. Gemma's no-nonsense housekeeper-slash-companion greeted her with a smile, holding her purse and a pair of keys in one hand while resting the other on an ample hip.

"Hey, Neeta." Jolene reached out to give the woman a hug. "Behaving yourself?"

"Hmph. How can I with that crazy woman I work for? The only thing that keeps me sane around here is my precious baby boy." Neeta snarked.

"Was he good today?"

"My baby is _always_ good. That is, until his grandma gets hold of him. She's done gone and dragged that boy out into the greenhouse. He's probably covered in dirt from head to toe by now. Fortunately for me, I'm leaving, so guess what you'll be doing?"

Jolene sighed. "Cleaning up Gemma's mess?"

"That's right and you know how dictatorial my baby gets during bath time." Neeta headed over to her car. "Have fun."

Walking around the side of the house, Jolene headed towards the open door of the Gemma's prized greenhouse. Peeking in, Jolene smiled as she spotted Gemma, wearing one of her favorite oversized plaid shirts and a sexy fitted t-shirt, standing at a work counter with a small stool in front of her. On the stool with a large pot of soil, a little spade, and a face covered with dirt-smudges was her precious baby, Abel.

"Grandma, it's not growing. I don't see no leaves or nutin." Abel said puzzled.

Looking at the frown on his little face, Gemma laughed. "That's okay, baby. It's going to take some time. But we'll pour water on it and feed it and before you know it, we will have some beautiful flowers for your mommy."

"And we won't tell Mommy, it will be a secret, and she will like it, right?"

"That's right. She will absolutely love it." Gemma smiled and kissed the top of Abel's blond head. Hearing a slight noise, Gemma looked over her shoulder and spotted Jolene in the doorway. Wriggling her eyebrows at her to make herself scarce, Jolene smiled and then backed away slowly from the open doorway and went into the kitchen to wait for the two co-conspirators.

When Abel came into the kitchen and spotted his mother sitting at the table he ran to give her a big hug. Picking him up and sitting him in her lap, Jolene asked, "Whatcha been doing, Little Man?"

"We been doing—" Abel started, paused, and slid a mischievous grin at his grandmother. "Stuff." He finished. Slipping out of his mother's lap, Abel declared, "I gotta go wash my hands," and ran to the half bathroom in the hallway adjacent to the dining room.

"And your face, too!" Gemma shouted after Abel as he trotted off.

Giving Gemma the stink eye, Jolene crossed her arms under her chest. "Are you teaching my baby to keep secrets from me?"

"Only the good ones, baby." Gemma replied cheekily.

Abel quickly reappeared having done a good job with his hands, but not so good with his face, so his mother took him to the sink to finish the job.

"Grandma, I think it's time for me and Papa's snack now, please."

Jolene arched an eyebrow. "What snack is this?"

Abel crossed his little arms over his chest. "Me and Papa get two of Miss Neeta's chocolate chip cookies and play in his room and talk about stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Jolene asked.

"Man stuff." Abel replied. "I gots to go, Mommy." Turning to his grandmother, Abel asked, "Can I have the cookies, please? Papa's waiting."

 _Abel certainly knows what he was talking about_ , Jolene thought, as she suddenly heard the heavy footsteps of her father.

"Where's my grandson?" Walking into the kitchen, Clay stopped as he saw his daughter. "Hey, baby girl. I didn't realize you were here." Bending down he gave her his customary kiss on top of her head.

"Hey, Papa!" Abel piped up gleefully. "I was jus getting the cookies."

"Yeah? You're running a little late there, aren't you?"

"Me and Grandma was doing stuff, but we finished now." Holding a paper towel filled with cookies, Abel reached up for his grandfather to pick him up.

Jolene cocked an eyebrow as she addressed her father. "So do I understand that this is a daily thing between you?"

"That's right." Clay said smiling. "We'll be done in about an hour."

As he turned with his grandson in his arms and headed towards his man cave, Jolene called out, "And what are you two gonna do?"

Looking back over his shoulder, both her father and her son called out, "Man stuff."

Both Gemma and Jolene bubbled over with laughter. "Oh my God. Abel's got you two eating out of his little hand."

"Yes, he does. We love our grandson. You've done such a wonderful job with him, baby girl, teaching him about his family, his heritage. I just want to know when we can expect a few more."

Jolene nearly choked to death. "Whoa! Back up there, G-Ma." She started gruffly. "More rug rats are not on the agenda for the foreseeable future. Jax has shit he needs to get straight with that junkie whore before we can move on with our lives. Besides, I have more than enough on my plate right now. Sometimes I barely know if I'm coming or going."

Gemma cocked an eyebrow at Jolene. "Okay, I hear ya. You're wound a little tight there, though. Something else is definitely bothering you, so what's the story?"

Jolene rolled her eyes. "What, are you psychic now?"

"Damn straight. Almost thirty years of motherhood turns a woman into the perfect bullshit-meter. Soon you, too, will have the power, but not yet. So, spill it."

Knowing that there was no way she was going to get out of the house without confessing to Mother Gemma, Jolene decided to vent out all of her frustrations.

"I just want one damn thing to go right. Just one. It's the whole house hunting thing. Jax is determined to find us a new home, but to tell you the truth, I'm getting tired of looking. There's just nothing around Charming that fits what we're looking for and it's driving me a little crazy because, as far as I am concerned, where we are now is pretty great. In another six months, the townhouse will be on the market and I just don't understand why Jax is being so stubborn about this."

Gemma sat down at the dining room table opposite Jolene. "I think the reason why is pretty obvious." She stated.

Jolene waited a beat, then two. "Do you plan on sharing? You may be psychic, but I can't read minds, you know."

Gemma shook her head. "For someone as smart as you, sometimes I think you walk around with your head up your ass." Gemma snarked. "Your old man hasn't been able to provide for you in over four years. For him, this is a big thing. He wants to give you and Abel the best and maybe he's being so obstinate about this now because of how things worked out with the junkie whore. I know for a fact that bringing that gash into the home that he bought for you ate my baby alive. He did it only out of a sense of obligation for the baby he supposedly knocked her ass up with. Did he tell you that he had your bedroom padlocked and restricted her to one of the other bedrooms? Or that he spent most of his time at the Clubhouse, but when he did sleep at the house, he slept in the other spare room, alone?"

Jolene's eyes widened and then softened, the fact that he had their bedroom sealed tugging at her heart. "No, he didn't tell me that."

Gemma smiled to herself. _God, men can be so damn stupid sometimes._ "Well, he did. The memories he made with you in that house were far too special to him. He couldn't take being with anybody but you in that room. And now that she's all but destroyed the house, Jax wants to give you something that will make up for that. He wants to create new, happy memories with you and his son. I know this is difficult for you, to give him back that control, to let him be the man he wants to be for you now, but let him do this for you. It'll work out in the end. It's just going to take a little time."

* * *

Jolene tried to take Gemma's advice to heart, but she was itching to get the whole process over and done with without acting like a complete brat, especially now that Gemma had clued her in on some things. It was difficult, but Jolene knew Gemma was right about Jax's need to provide for her. For some reason, her old man needed reaffirmation that Jolene needed him and she did, but for reasons that had nothing to do with money.

 _We're never going to find what we want_.

That was the thought currently running though Jolene's head as she reflected on the last mediocre house she and Jax were shown two days ago. The simple fact was that Charming wasn't known for its large real estate market. While there were some areas that catered to a higher standard of living, the rest of the town was very simple, pretty much kept isolated and free from over-development, unlike many of the residential areas in Stockton, Lodi, San Leandro, and Modesto.

While Jolene would never say it out loud, as her father would probably have a seizure, Charming could use a little shot in the arm by way of providing new homes for its middle class residents. Having her old man home, Jolene wanted things to move quickly so that she, Jax and Abel could finally settle down and become a family. After being apart for over four years, Jolene was tired of waiting for things to come together. With Jax's divorce still up in the air, Jolene found herself impatient for things to get better and Jax was feeling the same way. Searching for and finding the house of their dreams was definitely a step in the right direction.

However, after searching for almost three weeks and looking at more than a dozen homes in Charming and in the surrounding outskirts, Jolene was thinking that her idea of buying their current rental was the best solution. Then she got a call from their realtor.

Other than Jacob Hale's real estate development company, which Jax would never consider using, Britt Adams was the only other game in town. The fifty-something woman was business savvy and smart and very dedicated in her task of finding not simply houses, but real homes for her clients. Slim and chic, with a go-get-'em attitude, Britt was a longtime resident of Charming and she knew the ins and outs of its real estate market. She also respected the Sons of Anarchy and how they were responsible for keeping Charming a safe haven for its families, despite their somewhat shady background. As a result, Britt was determined to do her best to find Jax and Jolene a new home that they would love and, in turn, stick it to her arch-enemy, Jacob Hale.

"I think I've got something for you," Were the first words out of Britt's mouth when Jolene answered her pre-pay.

Trying not to be too hopeful, Jolene replied, "Where?"

"Can you and Jax meet me at my office right now?" As Jolene hesitated, Britt said, "We need to move fast, before Jacob Hale gets his hands on it. Trust me, I think this is the one."

So here they were, Jax following Britt on his bike, with Jolene clinging to her old man, going to see yet another house.

It had surprised her to see how excited Jax had been about seeing this new property. As a matter of fact, he got excited about every potential property until actually laying his eyes on them. Jolene was done with being disappointed and refused to get her hopes up anymore. However, knowing how important this was to Jax, Jolene put her game face on and tried not to poo-pooh his excitement.

As she told Donna, Gemma had convinced her that the whole hunter/gatherer mentality was strong at work in her old man. Jackson Teller needed to provide for his family and this time around he wanted both of them involved in the decision-making process. It was important to him that his old lady have a say in choosing the home where they intended to spend the rest of their lives rebuilding their family, and not just any house was going to cut it.

Paying a little more attention to her surroundings, Jolene was surprised to see Britt driving through what was an extremely familiar neighborhood, one of Charming's more upscale residential areas. Jolene's head snapped back as she realized that they had just passed her parents' home. Two blocks down the street, Britt made a left hand turn into a familiar cul-de-sac. There, standing on what was at least an acre of land, was a large three-story house, with a three car garage and huge backyard.

As soon as Jax pulled up behind the realtor, Jolene hopped off the bike even before it had come to a complete stop.

"You can't be serious," Jolene said as Britt got out of her shiny white convertible and slammed her door. "This house can't possibly be on the market."

"Oh, yes it is, but not for long, if Jacob Hale finds out. And he's not gonna." Britt crowed. "Come on. Let's go in." Pulling the keys from her Louis Vuitton handbag, Britt said over her shoulder, "Do you know who used to live here back in the day?"

Jolene nodded. "Yes, I do. This was my best friend's home."

Jax cocked his head at his old lady as he looked at the red and white bricked home with ivy creeping up the sides, the color of which went from the palest green to a green so dark that it was almost black. Checking out the wide front porch with two large swinging benches and several comfortable chairs, Jax rolled his eyes. "Darlin', Donna _never_ lived here."

"Not Donna, baby. Ronnie. This was her home before her family relocated to Seattle." Jolene smiled as she recalled when she, Jax, and their newly married parents first moved into the neighborhood.

The residents of the upscale area didn't know what to make of the dysfunctional biker family that had moved into the spacious two-story home formerly owned by a wealthy elderly widower. After being diagnosed with a terminal illness, he had left Charming to live with his son in San Francisco. Now that he had his father settled in with his family, the son, who had power of attorney, had been in a hurry to unload the property and didn't give a damn who he sold it to. The son had no problem accepting Clay's money, especially when Clay paid the full asking price without batting an eye.

However, Celia Armstrong, Ronnie's mother, had been very bitter about having to tolerate the white trash bikers living practically on her doorstep. She warned anyone who would listen that their property values would plunge as the area became overrun by dirty bikers.

Needless to say, no one was prepared for the Martha Stewart of the MC world to actually add a touch of class to the neighborhood. The property, although beautiful, had degraded a great deal as the widower had been ill and was unable to keep the property in good order.

Gemma took great pains to restore her new home to its former glory, hiring Oswald Construction to give the property a face lift. Getting a landscape architect to redesign the grounds, Gemma was able to convince Clay to have Oswald build her a greenhouse as well.

It had taken some time, but soon the only negative voice in the neighborhood was Celia Armstrong. Celia, however, had felt somewhat obligated towards Jolene Morrow for coming to her daughter's rescue and protecting her from a school bully. Social convention dictated that Celia at least fake an attempt at being hospitable whenever Jolene came to visit Ronnie, but in Jolene's mind, whenever she was in their home, she had always felt like "that biker brat."

However, Celia had to put up with her new neighbors for only a few months. Soon after the Teller-Morrows moved in, Russell Armstrong relocated his family to Seattle, closer to Armstrong Pharmaceuticals' headquarters and leaving their home behind to be occupied by a series of well-to-do families.

Now, as Jolene stepped into the beautiful entrance hall, with its gleaming hardwood floors, there was a smile on her face from ear to ear.

Britt walked the couple through the large house. With its high ceilings and large windows, the rooms had an open and airy feel to them. Offering formal living and dining rooms, the first floor also had a large professional kitchen and a huge casual breakfast nook with a window facing the backyard. Off the kitchen were the laundry room and servants quarters.

A secondary casual dining area was opposite the kitchen and faced a pair of French doors that opened onto a large deck with a gleaming top of the line built-in grill, complete with a full-size stainless steel sink, work area, and outdoor refrigerator. The large grassy backyard sported trees and plants, several covered seating areas, and a spot that would be perfect for a large outdoor gym for Abel. The property was enclosed by a massive seven foot high hedge that kept the property completely private and perfectly safe for Abel to ride his bike.

The house also featured a fully finished basement, which housed a family room and another room for a den with bathroom, at which Jax nodded approvingly, thinking that it would make a great man cave. But it was the upstairs bedrooms that had completely sold Jolene.

The second floor featured wall-to-wall carpeted hallways and boasted five bedrooms, three of which had en suite bathrooms, with two of them sharing a large connecting bathroom. The master bedroom had a bathroom that actually surpassed the one in their current home and provided not one, but two walk in closets. When Jax saw the French doors that opened onto a balcony with a private hot tub, he rubbed his chin to hide his grin.

_Man, Jo and I could get lost in that!_

Walking around in stunned wonder, Jolene and Jax practically ran from room to room as Britt excitedly pointed out all of the house's best features, including the spacious attic, which had been redesigned to provide optimum storage space. Back in the master bedroom, Jax and Jolene sat down on the large bed, practically exhausted from the marathon showing.

"I don't know who lives here now, but I just don't understand how anyone could give this place up." Jolene said disbelievingly.

Britt shook her head. "The current owner is one of those dot-comers. Unfortunately for him and his family, his business recently went belly up. He had relocated his family to Charming from the big city because his wife wanted to live in a quiet town."

"You can't get much quieter than Charming." Jax said.

"Exactly. As you can see, they had extensive work done, gutted a few rooms, consolidated others, and if I'm not mistaken, it was Oswald's outfit that did all the work. Now that Mr. Dot-Com has gone under, the house is all he has left after settling his debts and he needs the cash to start over. His wife was in Gina's Cut-and-Curl this morning and I overheard her telling Gina that they were going to put the house on the market, so realizing what property she was talking about, I knew I had to strike while the iron was hot. Just think, if I hadn't been in Gina's getting rid of my gray, I would have missed out on the deal of the year." Britt cackled gleefully. "Hale is going to piss his pants when he finds out that I scooped his ass."

"How desperate are they to make a sale?" Jax asked.

"After I got my hair done, I met with the both of them at my office. While they're playing their cards close to their chest, I get the sense that they want to get out of Charming and fast."

"So what are they asking?" Jolene asked, a little fearfully.

"Well, this is a prime piece of property and, with real estate being pretty scarce around here, they know they can get top dollar for it." Britt reached into her bag and pulled out a pad and wrote down a number, which she handed to Jax. "That's their ballpark figure. I think we could work them down a little, but if you have the bank to pay it, we could probably close in a month, depending on how you intend on financing it. With all the work they've done to bring it into the Millennium, you won't find a better house in Charming."

Jolene looked over Jax's shoulder at the pad and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Baby—" She started, but Jax interrupted.

"Britt, can you give us a minute?"

"Sure." She smirked. "Why don't I wait for you downstairs?" Pulling the doors of the master bedroom closed behind her, Britt did a hip shaking jive as she danced her way down the stairs.

_Jacob Hale can suck it!_

Back in the master bedroom, Jolene was shaking her head. "It's too expensive—"

Jax reached over and kissed her breathless. Pulling her away from him, he asked, "Do you love this house?"

"Jax, that's not the point—" Jolene started and again, Jax pulled her in for a lip-searing, soul-searching, suck-the-tongue-out-of-her-head kiss. Pushing her down onto the bed so that she was pinned underneath him, Jolene looked up at a pair of wickedly smiling blue eyes. "Darlin', do you want this house?"

Jolene turned her head slightly so that she could see the beautiful French doors, the high ceilings, and the thick cushiony blue carpet.

Tearing up a little, Jolene finally said, "Yes, I want this house."

"Then it's ours."

Jolene gave a little yelp and crushed her mouth to his. Finally coming up for air, Jolene had a sudden thought.

"Oh, shit. Do you realize that this means we will be within spitting distance of _your mother_?"

"Oh, double shit!" Jax exclaimed as he flopped onto his back on the bed. "Maybe we should reconsider."

"Oh, hell's no!" Jolene straddled Jax. "Baby, it's okay. I can take it." Jolene cringed a little to herself but refused to think about it.

 _The house is so worth it._ _I'll just keep telling myself that._

"Come on, before we celebrate on these people's bed." Jumping up, Jolene pulled her man onto his feet and straightened the covers. "Let's go make Britt's day!"

* * *

Gemma sat on her patio watching as Clay walked carefully behind Abel, who was enjoying a second ride on his motorcycle.

It was almost dinner time, but Abel had begged his Papa for another ride and Clay couldn't help but give in.

Gemma was so grateful to be a part of Abel's life. The young child had certainly made a difference in their lives, but most especially in Clay, who seemed even younger at heart. While she was sure that he kept on top of all of his duties for the Club, he seemed to enjoy spending more time at home with her and their grandson.

Suddenly, she heard her grandson yell out, "Mommy! Daddy!" Stopping his bike, he carefully got off and ran into his father's outstretched arms.

"Hey, Little Man. Have you been good for your Papa?"

Abel nodded his head. "I always good Daddy." Reaching for his mother to take him, he gave her a quick kiss and snuggled his head under her chin.

"Hey, you two. This is a surprise. We don't usually see you here at the same time." Clay said.

Jolene smiled. "Well, today's a special day."

As Gemma took in the happy looks between the couple, she crossed her arms. "Okay, what's the deal?"

Clay plopped himself down in his favorite chair. "Aww, Gem. Why do you always think something is going on all the time?"

Gemma shot back. "Because it usually is."

Jax grinned. "Well, I'm afraid she's right. You can't put anything over on her."

Clay lit up a cigar. "So what is it, then?"

Jolene walked over to sit next to her father with Abel on her lap. "Dad, we finally found a house!"

Gemma and Clay looked at each other. At once Jolene could tell that neither of them was happy and she had a pretty good idea why. Both were well aware that they had found nothing in the area that had suited them, so she was sure they were afraid that they had found something far out of Charming's borders.

Her father was quick to confirm her assumption. "Baby girl, I know you guys want to find a house, but settling for some place out in the sticks isn't a good idea. What if something happened with Abel and we were too far away to get to you quickly? And how are we going to spend time with our grandson if you move far away?"

Abel, who didn't quite understand the full import of the conversation, picked up on his grandfather's last comment. "I don't wanna move. I want to stay with Papa and Grandma." He cried.

Jax squatted down to console his son. "Don't worry, Abel. We're not going far at all."

Gemma crossed her arms. "What's 'not far'?" She asked suspiciously.

Jax and Jolene looked at each other and grinned. "How about two blocks?"

"What?" Clay and Gemma exclaimed.

"We're moving into Ronnie Armstrong's old house." Jolene practically squealed.

Gemma leaned over to hug her daughter. "OMG! CeCe Armstrong would birth a cow she knew!"

Standing up, Clay shook his stepson's hand. "Good job, son. How the hell did you manage that?"

Quickly, the couple shared the events of yesterday afternoon.

"We've already sealed the deal and gave them our offer, which they accepted. If all goes well with the bank, we can hopefully close in a few weeks." Jax explained.

"Apparently, Jacob Hale has already heard that he missed out on the sale and he is so not happy." Jolene smiled.

"Well, this calls for a celebration." Clay crowed. "You hear that, Little Man. You'll be able to see us all the time."

"I like that. I didn't want to go away."

Clay stood up. "Jax, come with me and help me get some glasses."

The two men left the woman chattering away with excitement about decorating and making arrangements to see the house together.

Walking into the kitchen, Clay told Jax to grab a bottle of Jack and tequila and some glasses. "I'll be back in a minute. Wait for me."

Jax turned around when he heard his stepfather return to the kitchen. In his hand was a folded piece of paper.

"Son, I want to do something for the two of you." As Jax raised an eyebrow, Clay continued. "I know that you want to do this for your family, for my baby girl, and I have no doubt that you could do it completely on your own without any help from us, but I'd be honored if you let your mother and I be a part of this. This is my way of letting you know that I fully support you. You were the right man for Jolene all along. I was a stubborn fool not to realize it sooner."

Reaching out, Clay wrapped his arms around his son, who hugged him hard. Clay pulled back, he placed in Jax's hand what he would later see, to his great shock, was a five-figure check.

"The fact that I can see you really mean that means more to me than anything you could give us. I love Jolene with everything I have in me and I will always protect her and our son." Jax promised. "Always."

* * *

At first, Wendy Teller thought that it was just a pounding headache that had woken her from a meth-induced stupor. Blinking her crusty, bloodshot eyes, Wendy groggily rolled over onto her side, only to hit the floor with a crash. Looking up to see the couch, she realized that she was in the living room, which was as far as she was able to make it before collapsing the night before.

Ever since Wendy had dropped the bomb on her husband that she had not filed the divorce papers, her life had quickly gone down the shitter.

_I should have never went to that damn Clubhouse after seeing Dahlmer._

Wendy had been higher than a fucking kite when she had gone after Jolene at the after-Church party, but she had reached her limit and couldn't take it anymore. Jax had been home a week and had completely avoided her. It was as if she didn't exist. She had planned on getting him alone to talk to him. Somehow, Wendy had deluded herself into believing that she could hold onto him. In the end, she ended up at the Clubhouse in a crank-induced haze and finally met the reality of her situation head on.

But Wendy had a couple of aces up her sleeve and for several weeks now she had her attorney make accusations and threats and, against his advice, demanded him to steadily increase the terms of the new settlement deal. Wendy believed that her lawyer wanted to hold back because he was intimidated by her outlaw biker husband, but Wendy wasn't having it. She knew she had Jax over a barrel and, if he wanted out of this marriage in order to live happily ever after with his slut and their bastard, he was going to fork over a large settlement. When Jax finally caved, not only would she be flush with cash, but she would own that whore's house as well, the mere thought of which gave her immense satisfaction.

The pounding in her head interrupted Wendy's happy thoughts. But as the pounding got louder and louder, she finally realized that it wasn't her head, but someone at the front door.

Staggering onto her feet, Wendy brushed her matted hair out of her eyes. Wading through the debris on the floor of dirty clothes, old newspapers, and empty food containers, Wendy nearly tripped before righting herself and making it to the door. Throwing it open, she saw the one man that she was so desperate to keep.

Jax Teller stood on his own doorstep. As his cold blue eyes took in the sight before him, he shook his head grimly.

_What the fuck was I thinking? I must have been half-crazed and stoned out of my damn mind._

Wendy looked as if she had been dragged through a cum dumpster and smelled even worse. As Jax took in the caked on make-up now smeared across her face, the wrinkled and dirty clothes that at one time may have been designer, but now looked like they had come from a thrift shop, and the filth lying in the hallway behind her, Jax's stomach roiled in his gut.

Seeing Jax in her doorway, Wendy tried to straighten up and smooth down her clothes and hair, but to no avail.

"Hey," She smiled, the ruby red lipstick smudging her lips and somehow staining her teeth. "It's great to see you. It's a little early for a social call though."

Without speaking, Jax pushed by her and entered his old home. As he saw its condition, noting the pictures that Jolene had picked with such care crookedly aligned on the walls, the dust an inch thick on the tables, the debris and garbage spread from the living room to the kitchen, Jax's anger at Wendy and at himself for allowing this to happen was overwhelming.

Turning to confront her, Jax said, "We need to talk about the divorce."

Wendy flopped onto one of the chairs in the living room. "If that's what you are here to discuss, then we might as well stop now. I won't speak to you without my lawyer present."

"Fine." Jax replied. "Then just read this." He threw a manila envelope on top of the dirty coffee table.

Wendy had been so surprised at Jax showing up on her doorstep that she hadn't noticed what he was carrying. Nudging it with one of her nail extensions, she looked up at Jax. "What's this?"

Jax flashed her a feral grin. "Why, it's our summary dissolution. Our divorce is final."

Like a shot, Wendy grabbed the envelope and ripped it open. Spilling the contents onto her lap, Wendy's eyes grew wide with horror and anger as she saw the text on the cover sheet of the stack of papers, "Dissolution of Marriage, Teller v. Teller." Flipping to the bottom of the stack of papers, Wendy's hand shook as she saw what was undoubtedly her signature next to Jax's on the settlement that had been agreed between them six months ago. Finally, at the bottom of the papers was an Order of Dissolution, signed and dated with yesterday's date by Judge Jenna Swenkin, U.S. Family Court for the State of—

"Nevada? You got a divorce in fuckin' Nevada?" Wendy half screamed as she threw the papers down on the floor.

"That's right. The state that clapped my ass in irons is the one that has set me free." Jax drawled with a big shit-eating grin on his face. Lighting up a cigarette, Jax blew smoke right in Wendy's face. "It shouldn't surprise me that you forgot we signed _three_ sets of papers. I gave you two sets back—one for you and the other for your lawyer to file, but I gave my set to Gemma for safe-keeping. Good thing I did, too. I guess deep down I knew I couldn't trust a piece of shit junkie like you. Since the papers were already signed and notarized, Rosen had no problem applying for the divorce in the state in which the marriage took place. Starting the process again in California would have taken another six months, maybe longer if we couldn't reach an agreement on the settlement. It only took four weeks in Nevada and now, I'm a free man."

"Damn you!" Wendy raged. She couldn't believe this shit.

"No, damn you!" In one move, Jax grabbed hold of Wendy and lifted her off the couch and shook her so hard that her teeth nearly rattled in her head. "I'm the fuckin' SAMCRO VP! Did you really think you could outsmart me? That I was going to let you blackmail me and mine? You obviously didn't know who you were dealing with. I was an asshole for trying to help you, but I got what I deserved for not listening when everyone tried to remind me that you were nothing but cheap road pussy. You should have left Charming a long time ago. Instead, you jerk me around by trying to pull this shit on me. Then you attack my old lady in _my_ Clubhouse and talk shit about my son."

Wendy's face drained of color. "Yeah, I know about that," Jax said, thinking of Tig's visit to him in Chino with his home movies. "You really think I didn't see you at my homecoming? I deliberately ignored you because had you approached me, I would have lost my shit and beat the fuckin' daylights out of you in front of that entire lot for talking shit about my son. But only a dirt bag would hit a woman, even a piece of shit like you."

Shoving Wendy hard enough so that she fell back onto the couch, Jax reached behind him. Whimpering, Wendy threw up her hands thinking that he was about to pull out a gun.

Instead, Jax pulled out two envelopes. Throwing them on the table, Jax snarled "One of those is a key for a room at the Ramada for a couple of days. I want you to pack your shit and get the hell out of this house by 4:00 today. If I come by at 4:01 and find you still here, instead of the Ramada, you'll spend the next couple of days in one of Unser's cells."

Wendy was full-on crying now as Jax continued. "The second envelope is a check for $20,000. That's double what you would have received in the original settlement, but nowhere near what you were trying to blackmail me for and it's all you are going to get."

Jax bent over her putting one hand on each side of her so that she couldn't escape his gaze. "You have two days to get yourself out of Charming. If you know what's good for you, you won't come back."

Spitting so that it hit the carpeted floor at Wendy's feet, Jax stood up and strolled out of his former home and never looked back.

_Now, there's only one more piece of shit left to deal with._

* * *

David Hale was working on his second beer shooting the breeze with Patsy at the bar of The Hairy Dog. He was pretty surprised on just how quiet the bar was for a Friday evening, with only five other regulars sitting at tables or playing at the bar's only pool table.

It had been a long day at the station house. The small town had been unusually quiet of late, which was unsurprising as the quality of life issues that were present in other areas weren't a big problem in a town like Charming. The tedium of filing the necessary bureaucratic paperwork took up a large portion of the day and Hale had taken on some of Unser's load as it seemed that the older man's health seemed to be slowing him down.

Hale had a date set for tonight, but canceled at the last minute. He had no problem getting his own women, but his brother had decided to interfere with his love life yet again and set him up on a blind date with one of his wife's friends. Hale decided that he would get more warmth from a cold beer than from the cold fish who was the daughter of the Chairman of Charming Savings and Loan.

Standing in the station house watching Jolene embracing her family the night of the wrap party brawl, Hale had finally realized that it was never going to happen between the two of them. And while a part of him was sad, a part of him actually felt free. Soon after, he started making the rounds again and found that he was having a pretty good time. Eventually, Hale knew he would find a good woman and settle down now that he had finally let go of the impossible. But Hale couldn't kid himself. He knew that he would always compare any women he ever met to Jolene.

"I heard the Hairy Dog was a hangout of yours." Hale quickly put aside his musings as he looked up at the mirror behind the bar and caught the reflection of the person speaking. Seeing the cold blue eyes and flared nostrils of Jax Teller, he felt a quiver of anticipation in his gut.

_Finally._

It had been a few weeks since Hale had the displeasure of seeing Teller in the station house the night of the wrap party incident. Hale hated having to let Teller go free, but it was the only way to guarantee Jolene wouldn't be charged. It was only a matter of time until he and Jax would go a round and Hale decided to sit back and allow him to make the first move.

As Patsy's rheumy eyes finally got a good look at the menacing blond biker, he trembled.

_Oh, shit! Not again._

The bar owner may have been pushing 80, but he was still sharp as a tack. The last time the biker had been in his establishment some seven years ago, the young man had castrated one of his customers. However, when Chief Unser had come down to take his statement, Patsy had willingly come to the biker's defense. After all, the sadistically placed pool cue would effectively block the Nords from dealing crank in his bar, which was a great relief to Patsy. SAMCRO had shown Patsy their appreciation by giving the old man enough cash to pay off his good-for-nothing son's crank debt, with enough left over to refill his empty nest egg.

However, seeing the cold and almost crazy look in the young biker's eyes as he stared holes into the back of the Deputy Chief's head, Patsy had a feeling that all hell was about to break loose and not even being a badge in this town was going to protect the man sitting at his bar.

Hale's eyes met Jax's in the bar mirror. "I like to come here on occasion."

"Well, maybe as a favor to Patsy here, you wouldn't mind going elsewhere tonight." Jax smiled fiercely. "You and I, we have a little unfinished business to settle."

* * *

_It_ _'s a good night for a fight._

Jax followed Hale's Jeep Wrangler as it turned off the I-22 about five miles outside of Charming. There was a full moon in the sky tonight which would be helpful, but Jax figured they wouldn't really need it as the headlights from both Hale's cage and his bike should suffice. Jax and Hale had stepped out of The Hairy Bar, to Patsy's great relief, and the two alpha males decided to take their personal beef outside of Charming's city limits.

Hale turned his Jeep down a deserted stretch of road to a small open clearing. Turning his vehicle around so that the front of it was now facing the direction from which they had come, Hale turned off the motor. Leaving his lights on, Hale stepped out of the Jeep and slammed the door behind him. Jax got off his ride and left his lights on as well.

"Take off all your rings." Hale advised.

Jax's eyes glowed in the reflection of the headlights as he stripped off his rings. He be damned if he'd take off his cut. "Take off your badge and your little uniform. I'd hate for you to get blood on it."

Hale smirked as he removed his holster and threw it onto the passenger seat of his Jeep.

"Whatever the outcome tonight, Teller, you do know you already won, right?"

This fight had been in the making for eight long years. Hale was going to pay for everything tonight. He would never forget that Jolene Morrow was the Property of Jackson Teller.

"That's what's gonna make beating the shit out of you that much sweeter." Jax replied, his grin reminiscent of a snarl. "And for the record, I won long before you were even in the picture. She was always mine."

Hale quickly removed his badge, walkie-talkie and shirt. As he flexed the muscles in his hand, he realized that he was really looking forward to this. This wasn't a fight between a cop and an outlaw, but between two men who were fighting for what they both wanted. In the end, Hale knew that he never had a chance with Jolene, but he needed this, just as much as Jax did.

And then they could both move on.

* * *

Jolene sighed wearily as she pulled up in front of the townhouse. It had been a long day and an even longer night.

It was her first Parent-Teacher conference in a long time and she had forgotten just how exhausting a day it could be. Jolene was thankful that the powers that be had decided to have it on Friday night, so that she could have the next day to recover.

During the meetings, Jolene got the distinct feeling from many of the parents that she was the one under scrutiny, instead of reporting on the progress and achievements of their children. It wasn't totally surprising. Growing up in a small town where practically everyone knew everybody's business, the folks of Charming were very much aware of Jolene's history and her affiliation with the Club.

Despite the glowing reports that Jolene had received from her own former principal, who was surprised himself at how well Jolene was working out at Charming Excelsior, there were whispers of doubts among parents and faculty alike. The main concern was not whether or not Jolene had the skill set to successfully teach their children, but rather what type of a negative influence, if any, would Jolene Morrow have over the impressionable student body.

But all things considered, Jolene felt that the meetings, which had lasted far later into the evening for her than for most of her colleagues, went surprisingly well. The Math Lab had been extremely successful. The majority of the students, namely the entire football team, had been failing the subject. However, once Jolene took over, her interactive manner of teaching, coupled with intensive drilling and test prep, enabled her students to pass the standardized testing by the State. As result, the lowest passing grade had been a 75, with a good number of the students scoring pretty impressive numbers.

More than a few of the parents were surprised when they finally met the paragon that their sons had bragged about. Although their sons were enamored with the beautiful young woman, it was quite clear that she was well-mannered and straight-forward. An excellent teacher, as well as a strict disciplinarian, who had taken the time to know each student on an individual basis, knowing their strengths and weaknesses and taking a personal interest in their welfare.

Jolene stepped out of her car and kicked off her shoes before she could take another step. Grabbing her messenger bag and purse from the passenger seat, she wearily walked up the short walkway to her front door.

Calling out to her old man, Jolene announced, "I'm home."

Slamming the door behind her, Jolene dropped everything in a heap on the floor by the entrance and made a beeline for the couch in the living room, falling down face first.

And that's where her son found her.

Abel ran into the room and saw his mother, spread out on the couch with her butt up in the air. Already wearing his Spider-Man pajamas, Abel walked up to his mother and poked her on the side. "Mommy?"

A small groan emanated from Jolene as she turned her head slightly and opened one eye. "Abel, baby, what are you doing up? You should be in bed."

Abel reached over to brush his mother's dark hair out of her eyes. "We was waiting for you."

Jolene awkwardly managed to turn over onto her back so that she was facing the ceiling. Before she could sit up, Abel climbed on top of her, straddling her body, bent over, and kissed his mother on her nose, missing her mouth completely.

Seeing the sparkling twinkle in his green eyes, as well as some barely suppressed excitement, Jolene looked around and realized that Jax had not yet made an appearance. She looked warily at her son. "What's going on? Where's your father?"

"He's hiding." Abel said in a stage whisper.

"Why?" Jolene replied in the same hushed tone.

"'Cause I think he was too scared to ask you, so he wants me to do it."

Jolene smiled as she sat up with Abel still clinging to her. "Ask me what, baby?"

Abel reached into the pocket of his pajama bottoms and pulled out a glittering object. "Daddy wants to know if you want to wear this again, 'cause he said that it was okay now."

Jolene's heart started beating double-time in her chest. In the center of Abel's palm was her old engagement ring. The five carat cushion-cut green diamond in a platinum and white diamond marquise setting looked even more beautiful than when she had first saw it over four years ago.

Abel laughed as he looked at his mother. "You like it!"

Jolene's lips trembled and her eyes were moist. "And just how do you know that, Little Man?"

"'Cause you look all sappy like you and Auntie Ronnie do when you watch sad movies on TV." He turned his head and yelled out to his father. "Daddy, you can come now! Mommy is crying, so she likes it!"

Trying to dry her eyes quickly, they started to tear even more when Jax came into the room. The big grin on his face and the love that shone out of his eyes simply overwhelmed Jolene. But as he drew closer, she gasped as she saw his face.

"Oh my God, Jax! What happened?"

"Daddy was fighting!" Abel beamed up at his mother, who was struck dumb at the sight of her old man and almost dropped her ring on the floor.

Grabbing hold of his face with both hands, Jolene examined him. All things considered, it wasn't too bad. Other than his swollen left eye and a small split on his bottom lip, he looked fine. She couldn't same the same for his hands. Shaking her head, Jolene noted that several of his knuckles were split on each hand and that he had done a piss-poor job of cleaning and bandaging them.

As Jax reached down, Jolene wrapped one arm around their son and the other around her old man to squeeze him tight. "Don't worry about it, darlin'. The other guy looks a hell of lot worse than I do."

"Yeah, Daddy beat him good. He told me." Abel piped up as he watched his mother caress his father's cheek.

"Jax—" Jolene implored.

"Never mind all that, baby. I want to know what you think about this." He cupped her hand that still held her ring.

_Damn. I'll deal with this fight shit later._

Jolene looked up at her old man with shining eyes. "Does this mean what I think it means?" She whispered.

"It means that I love you, I'll always love you and that witch is out of our house and out of our lives. The divorce is final, darlin'. We're home free."

Kissing her man deeply, as he winced a little at the pain in his lip, Jolene pulled back to take a breath. "Then what the hell are we doing here?" As Jax cocked his head at his old lady, she gave him a huge smile. "Baby, let's ride."

* * *

Someone was laying on his doorbell and, when he got up, he was going to rip them a new one.

Clay rolled over to check the clock on his night table. While 11:30 would normally never be too late to pay a visit, Clay and Gemma had decided to make an early night of it. Between Church earlier that evening and playing with Abel, Clay desperately needed some sleep. Abel had been over all day and well into the night before Gemma had dropped him off with Neeta until his parents came home and she was tired too.

Gemma rolled over and sat up. "Who the hell is that?"

"I don't know," Clay replied grimly, picking up his Glock from the night stand. "But if I don't like them, they're going to get a load of hot steel in the ass."

Gemma crawled out of bed, grabbing a robe and followed behind her husband.

The banging on the front door only got louder and louder as the Morrows got closer to the front door. Peeking out of the side window, Clay saw Jolene, Abel, and Jax.

Opening the door, Clay said, "What the hell is going on? Do you know what time it is?"

Abel, like most children quick to tell all news, good, bad, or ugly, said, "Papa, Mommy and Daddy are getting married on a trip, so I gots to stay wit you!"

Gemma's eyes popped out of her head when she saw the matching 1,000-watt smiles on the faces of both her son and stepdaughter and the big fat diamond ring back on Jolene's third finger where it belonged.

"Oh my God! Tell me it's over?"

"It's done, Ma." Jax replied happily.

"Come here, baby girl." As Clay hugged his daughter, he finally felt a sense of relief. Wendy Case was now out of the picture and hopefully her ass was on the way out of Charming and out of their lives for good.

Gemma reached out to hug both Jolene and her son. "I'm so happy for you." But Gemma then blinked her eyes. Twice.

"Jackson, what the hell happened to your face?" She exclaimed, grabbing him by his chin.

"Daddy was fighting." Abel crowed happily.

"With whom?" Gemma demanded, as she put a hand on her hip.

Abel answered although the question wasn't meant for him. "Ask Daddy. He said he beat him bad."

Clay narrowed his eyes as he looked at his stepson. Seeing the triumphant glint in his eye, Clay nodded in satisfaction.

_I bet he knocked Deputy Dog the hell out!_

Jax rubbed Abel's head. "Little Man, some things you need to learn to keep to yourself. Look, Ma. Forget it. Here, take Abel's stuff." Jax quickly handed Gemma a small duffle bag. "We're going to pick up Opie and Donna and we'll be gone for only a couple of days—" Jax started, but stopped when he got a good look at Gemma.

"And where do you think you're going?" She huffed.

"To Reno. The state that liberated me is now going to put me back in handcuffs." Jax grinned.

Jolene punched Jax in the arm. "A-hole!" She groused snarkily as Jax winced.

"Don't you mean a ball and chain?" Clay joked. However, his laughter dried up when he, too, got a good look at Gemma's face.

"If you think for one damn minute that you two are just going to ride off into the freaking sunset—" Gemma started, but Jax interrupted.

"Actually, Ma, it'll be more like the sunrise—"

"I don't give a flying fishhook what it is." Gemma retorted. "But if you think you are going to ride off to Reno to get married in some tacky wedding chapel, then you have lost your damn mind."

Too late, Jolene remembered what Gemma had said to her so many years ago.

_There will be no getting knocked up, no eloping, and no hole-in-the-wall wedding. You two are SAMCRO royalty, Jolene and there is no way you are going to rob me and your father of seeing the two of you get married._

Looking at her stepmother, Jolene realized that there was no way that she was going to wake up as Mrs. Jackson Teller on Saturday morning. Her father tried to talk Gemma down from the ledge, but she wasn't buying it.

"Clay, this is SAMCRO Royalty here. Do you mean to tell me that you want your only daughter to be walked down some cheesy aisle by some nameless, faceless person instead of you, her father? And what about Bobby, and the rest of your brothers? It was one thing when Jackson went off and married that crank ho in Reno—"

"Grandma, what's a crank ho?" Abel interrupted.

"I'll explain it to you later, baby." Gemma replied hurriedly.

 _The hell you will_ , Jolene thought exasperated.

Returning to the subject at hand, Gemma turned to her husband. "Jax and Jolene are the future of this Club. You want him to repeat that Reno history with your daughter?" Seeing the realization dawn in her old man's eyes, Gemma nodded grimly. "I didn't think so."

Jolene tried another tactic with her. "Gem, with my schedule at school, Abel, and closing on the new house, I simply don't have time to plan a wedding." Too late, she realized that she had provided Gemma with the opening that she needed.

"No problem. Then I'll do it." Gemma said triumphantly. "All of it, from start to finish. All you two will have to do is show up." Whirling around, her robe fluttering in the breeze like a cape, Gemma ran for a pad and pen and her glasses. "This is going to be biggest, baddest wedding anyone has seen in Charming in years." She crowed.

Jax and Clay looked at Jolene. "Well, you did it now, baby girl." Walking over to his only daughter, Clay bent over and kissed the top of her head. "You have my sympathy."

"What about me?" Jax cried. "With her crazy ass at the wheel, it'll be six months before we get married."

"It's your own damn fault. You should have just taken that ride to Reno and came back married like you did the first time. Then your mother would have no choice but to accept it. But you didn't, and she's not, and really, I can't blame her one bit. I want to walk my baby down the aisle." Taking his grandson from a stunned speechless Jolene, Clay headed off to the kitchen. "I think the only way any of us will survive this is with lots of alcohol, so let's get started."


	10. SAMCRO Royal Wedding

**Since the age of 10, Jolene Morrow has known that there would only ever be one man for her. Jackson Teller was the object of her affections and she pursued him with a singleness of purpose and mind.**

**Jax Teller, on the other hand, after years neck deep in an unhealthy relationship, had allowed his life to spiral out of control when his first love left Charming. Despite the loving and close bond he had with Jolene, Jax believed he only cared for her as a little sister.**

**But as Jolene started to grow up, Jax had a difficult time reconciling with the truth of his feelings for her. It was only after a very bold (and slightly inebriated) Jolene took matters (and a certain part of Jax's anatomy) in hand that Jax started to realize that there was something uniquely special about her. But even then, Jax believed that it was her transformation from grease monkey tomboy into a beautiful young woman with a tight body and killer ass that had drawn him in. Jax felt blindsided as he quickly fell in love. He had no idea that theirs was a love 15 years in the making and that he had been using women and booze in an effort to keep himself from realizing that he couldn't live without her. That the most perfect old lady on the planet had been in front of him all along.**

**After almost losing the love of his life twice—once to a would-be assassin's bullet and then to his own warped need to protect her from himself—Jax was determined to make sure that Jolene—and the rest of the world—knew that she belonged to only one outlaw.**

**Jolene Morrow would always be the Property of Jax Teller.**

* * *

_We should have just run off to fuckin' Reno!_

That was the thought that coursed through Jolene's mind as she was trapped in Wedding Planning Hell.

_Like it's not enough that I have lessons to plan and papers to grade, a new home to close on, a rental to clean and pack up, a child to raise and a man to love, I have to spend every damn night on this wedding shit._

Jolene held her head in her hands as she heard the "wah, wah, wah" noises emanating from her soon to be mother-in-law and her Matron of Honor. Across the dining room table, Gemma was sitting comfortably in a chair with a pair of reading glasses perched on her nose, a cigarette in one hand and a guest list that seemed to be twenty pages long in the other, while Donna was quite happily tapping away on a laptop, steadily entering in names for the final guest list.

Gemma had promised her that she would plan everything for the wedding and yet, somehow, Jolene found herself dragooned into participating. Her best friend, who should be supporting her in her efforts to get away from the nightmare, had instead joined Gemma with all the happy enthusiasm of a mental defective on crank. Donna, who got to enjoy what Jolene considered to be a dream wedding in Reno, did not understand Jolene's reluctance to participate in the festivities in which she was to have the starring role.

But Jolene knew that her reluctance came from the part of her that was having a hard time believing that marrying the man of her dreams would actually happen. That nay-saying superstitious part of her that said that, after everything she and Jax had been through, not taking the opportunity to go off to Reno and marry right away had all but guaranteed that they would never make it down the aisle. That in spite of Gemma's best efforts to put together a kick-ass wedding in less than four weeks, Jolene would never get the chance to finally be Mrs. Jackson Teller.

By the time she was six years old, Jolene had already lived a hard enough life to realize that fairy tale endings were not meant for girls like her. She had quickly come to understand that there would be no happily ever after and no Prince swooping in on a white horse to save the damsel in distress. It was only when she came to Charming that Jolene realized that having a family that loved and cherished her was not a fairy tale, but something every child had the right to enjoy. That even though evil witches like Valentina existed, there were also knights in shining armor like her father and Uncle Elvis and that she could have her own Prince Charming in the form of Jax Teller.

However, after the events of that horrible day at the Clubhouse when Jolene decided that destiny had other plans for her and Jax, it was difficult to believe that it would all take place according to plan, no matter how much Gemma stressed over each little detail. Jolene's A-type personality was too fixated on the fact that just too many things had conspired against them at the end of their relationship over four years ago, making it almost impossible for her to hope that this wedding would really go off without a hitch. Something was bound to go wrong. Her father would suddenly go ape-shit on her, some other gash from Jax's past would pop up, this time with a baby in tow no less, proclaiming herself as her old man's newest baby momma. Or worse.

So Jolene tried her best to stay out of the whole wedding planning drama as much as possible, not wanting to get her hopes up. Yet here she was, trapped like a fly in honey and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

Jolene rose to her feet and went to the kitchen to get another bottle of wine.

_If I'm going to sit through this I need to be seriously drunk._

Returning to the table with an open bottle of Pinot Noir, Jolene had intended to pour herself a large glass, but decided that the glass just wasn't big enough. Drinking straight from the bottle, Jolene swallowed several large gulps.

"Thirsty, are we?" Gemma countered sarcastically.

"No, just trying to drink myself unconscious." Jolene replied as she took another swig.

Donna reached over and grabbed the bottle. "No more for you. You should be having fun planning this. It's _your_ wedding."

 _No it's not_. Jolene shot Donna a look like she had three heads.

Jolene had realized that the moment she and Jax announced they were finally tying the knot, her wedding had officially become _Gemma's_ wedding. Gemma quickly took steps to assert her authority, declaring that as the mother of _both_ the bride and the groom, she alone had veto power on any and all of the wedding details, no matter how minute.

Subsequently returning to Charming after a long absence with Jax's 3-year old son, Jolene knew that she was going to have to do some major penance for her sins and this wedding was going to be it. At this point, all Jolene wanted was for it to be over and done with already, but there were still weeks of preparation ahead, a dress to find, and bridal and bachelor parties to plan to coincide with the arrival of out of town charters and their old ladies before the actual main event.

Gemma was in her element 110%. Watching her stepmother bully florists and caterers over the telephone while simultaneously bullying her and Donna, Jolene realized that Gemma had missed her true calling. Forget wedding planning. Gemma would have made one hell of a Drill Sergeant. She was planning this wedding like most Generals would plan for battle. Gemma was determined that the union of Jackson Teller and Jolene Morrow would go down in history as the biggest, baddest biker wedding Charming has ever witnessed and no expense would be spared in order to make that happen.

Making a mental note to pack a flask of tequila for the next marathon wedding planning session, Jolene only hoped she survived Hurricane Gemma with her liver and sanity intact.

* * *

Jax and Jolene lay in a naked and sweaty heap on their California king-size bed. Pushing the strands of her dark hair from across her forehead, Jax tenderly kissed his old lady. "So, did that ease the tension?"

"Oh, God yes. I really needed that." Finally catching her breath, Jolene snuggled up against her man. "Baby, did I ever tell you that your mother's crazy?"

"All the time, darlin'." Jax smiled. "What was it tonight?"

"Oh my God, okay, get this." Jolene sat upright in the bed to look down on her man. "Not only did Gemma order like 500 million wedding invitations, but she insisted—and I thought she was going to kick the printer in the nuts when he looked at her funny—on invitations with little reapers on the front and black envelopes." As Jax tried to stifle a laugh and was unsuccessful, Jolene punched him in the arm. "It's not funny. I'm glad she's planning the wedding, but a line has to be drawn somewhere before she goes off the deep end!"

"And the Reaper on a wedding invitation is _not_ the deep end?" Jax laughed.

"I am so glad you feel my pain, baby. What would I do without your support?" Jolene said sarcastically as she flopped back onto the bed.

"Aww, I'm sorry, darlin'," Jax practically rolled on top of Jolene as he kissed and nuzzled her neck. "Just tell me what I can do to help and I'll do it." He practically snarled against her throat as he grazed her skin with his teeth.

"How about helping me find a dress she'll like? I'm not going through another fitting just to have her cancel my dress again."

Now it was Jax's turn to sit upright on the bed. "Gemma canceled your dress?" He growled.

Jolene sighed as she covered her eyes with her hands, realizing too late that in her haste to vent she had shared just a little too much. "Baby, it's no big deal. I—"

But Jax cut her off. "How is that not a big deal?" He asked as he pulled her up and into his arms. Looking into her beautiful eyes shining with love for him, Jax felt a tinge of remorse. "Darlin', you should have been my first and only wife and because I'm an asshole, I can't give you that. We're finally there, baby and I'll be damned if our day is not perfect the way _you_ want it. Where does she get off canceling your dress?"

"She didn't like the color." Jolene explained wearily. "I feel silly wearing white, so I picked an ivory dress and she wasn't happy with it."

"You know what I'm gonna say, right?" Jax started and Jolene's lips curled in a half-smile. "Her happiness is not my responsibility. Yours is, darlin' and I don't give a fuck what she wants. Did you really want the dress?"

Jolene thought about the ivory charmeuse sheath she had fallen in love with and nodded. "Yeah, I did. I loved that dress."

"Then re-order it. If Gemma has anything to say about it, trust me, I'll take care of it."

"Because you're my big and scary outlaw biker?" Jolene teased.

Jax dipped his head and kissed her tenderly, but thoroughly. "Because we're not even married yet and you already have me in a bowl covered in pussy whip."

* * *

Clay simply was not going to do it.

Rubbing his face with his hands, Clay walked into the Clubhouse looking for his daughter. Surprised, he spotted Jolene sitting at one of the small tables across from the bar with Piney, who currently had an unexpected, but welcome visitor in his lap in the form of his grandson. On the table were several old cigar boxes, each with dozens of old pictures, some color, others black white, representing more than 30 years of SAMCRO heritage.

"Hey, what's all this?" Clay asked as he strolled up to the little group. "I didn't know my favorite grandson was here."

Abel threw his little head back and laughed. "Hi, Papa. Look at this!" Abel picked up a black and white photo and handed it to his grandfather. "Guess who that is?"

Clay smiled. "Why don't you tell me?"

"That's the First Nine, Papa. See," Abel pointed to each of the riders on their bikes. "That's Uncle Piney and that's my other grandpa, Daddy's daddy. That's you and that's . . ." and Abel went down the line, naming each of the members of the First Nine.

"I tell ya, Clay, we got a smart one here. He must have taken after Jolene." Piney smiled, picking up his shot glass and downing the contents. "A true Son in the making who knows his heritage."

"Well, why wouldn't he? His mama raised him right." Putting his hand on Jolene's shoulder, Clay said, "Baby girl, come with me to the Chapel for a minute. We need to talk."

Bending over to kiss his grandson on the top of his head, Clay headed to the Chapel, pulling a wary Jolene by the hand.

Looking at his grandfather practically yank his mother into the Chapel, Abel asked Piney, "Is Mommy in trouble?"

"I hope not." Piney said. Grabbing another picture from the pile, Piney asked, "Now, who's this?"

* * *

Clay dropped heavily into his chair at the head of the table and sighed.

Jolene quirked an eyebrow at her father. "I don't like the sound of that, Dad." She took a seat in her old man's VP chair. "What's going on?"

"Baby girl, I need your help."

Jolene's eyes narrowed. "What's the problem?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't do it." Clay ran his hands through his thick salt-and-pepper hair. "It's the wedding. You're gonna have to cancel—"

Jolene jumped out of her chair so fast that it crashed onto the hardwood floor. "No! I am marrying Jax and there's nothing—"

"No, no, baby girl. For God's sake calm the hell down." Clay nearly shouted.

"Then what the frack are you talking about?" Jolene practically shouted in her father's face, her nerves already frazzled and fried.

"We've have to cancel the reception at Oswald's and I can't do it. I just can't face that woman." He replied, referring to Gemma.

_WTF?_

Jolene took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Okay, why don't we start this conversation over?" She picked up her chair and sat back down. "You _don't_ want me to cancel the wedding. You want me to cancel the reception?" She queried.

"Not the reception, just the location. Look," Clay reached out and put his hand on top of his daughter's. "You know I don't usually mix business with pleasure and I prefer keeping things vague between us, baby girl, but I have to make an exception in this case."

Jolene's eyes were intently focused on her father as his internal struggle over how much to tell his daughter played out on his face. Whatever favor he was going to ask of her, Jolene could tell that it had caused him a sleepless night or two. He looked tired, as if he were carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and had bags under his eyes.

"Daddy, we never talk business and, if it makes you uncomfortable, we don't have to start now. I trust you with my life, with my son's life." Jolene stated emphatically as Clay nodded with a hint of pride in his half-smile. "I only need you to tell me as much as you think I need to know. No more, no less, and I will do whatever I can to help you out." Besides, Jolene's deal with Jax regarding full disclosure while she was naked was still in effect. Her old man had no choice but to give her a heads up that they may have a few unexpected guests to their wedding from across the pond.

SAMCRO had recently been advised by McKeavey that the Irish Kings felt slighted by the fact that they had not received word that John Teller's boy was marrying Clay Morrow's daughter. Weddings were apparently a big deal in Ireland, especially when they involved the progeny of two of the men responsible for forging a more than thirty-year relationship between the MC and the RIRA. Clay had no choice but to contact Declan Brogan, Peter Dooley and Brendan Rourke, the Irish Kings, and personally invite them to the wedding. Never taking into consideration for one moment that they would actually accept, Clay was shocked as shit when they had.

"Sweetheart, this is your wedding. I can't ask you for what I need without giving you the whole story." Clay started and proceeded to recount his dilemma with the Irish Kings.

"Okay, so they want to come. No problem, we'll just order a few more tables. There's no need to change the venue." Jolene thought about all the drama involved in trying to secure the Oswald Estate for the wedding and reception in the first place.

According to Gemma's in-bred Martha Stewart, it was painfully obvious that not only was the Clubhouse way too small for an event of such magnitude, but it was inadequate to serve as a backdrop for the SAMCRO Royal Wedding. Conspiring with Donna, Gemma had approached her old schoolmate and long-time friend of the Club, Elliott Oswald and asked if they could use his estate.

Elliott, caught off-guard at first by Gemma's request, had no problem with SAMCRO and could never deny the Queen of Charming anything. His wife Karen, however, had no problem voicing her strong objection and only relented when her husband had promised to take her and their daughter Tristan away for a posh vacation in the South of France. Gemma was over the moon and now her father was asking Jolene to burst his wife's happy bubble.

Clay quickly intruded on Jolene's thoughts. "Baby girl, you don't understand. The Irish Kings are very private and suspicious of people by nature. The ATF and a host of other government agencies would love to be able to find out who they are and better yet, snatch them up while on U.S. soil, which they would be able to do easily enough, especially on Oswald's private estate. The only way I can personally guarantee their safety is if we move the whole shindig to the Wahewa reservation." As Jolene's wide seafoam green eyes got even wider, Clay continued. "As a sovereign nation within the United States, there is no way that any federal government agency or police force could step foot on the reservation and grab them."

"I take it that since the Irish Kings are packing their bags as we speak that having the wedding at the Wahewa Rez is all but a done deal?" Jolene asked.

"Afraid so, baby girl." Clay replied.

"So basically, you just need me to fall on the sword, so to speak, and break the news to Gemma." Jolene stated and her father flashed a cheesy grin.

"Basically."

"You do realize that in order for there to be a wedding there needs to be a bride, right?" Jolene asked rhetorically. "Gemma's going to flip out and I may not survive the encounter."

"Maybe, but I wouldn't ask you if I didn't need to keep this on the down low. If I do it, you know Gemma, she'll start asking questions and if she doesn't like the answers, well, let's just say that Mama Bear is not always a joy to live with." Clay explained. "She gives you grief, all you have to do is go all Bridezilla on her ass. Just get all weepy and give her the 'I want to wed my old man in the open air with the birds and shit' and she'll cave. Do it for me, baby girl? Please?"

Jolene sighed dramatically. "I'm too old for this conspiracy crap."

* * *

Carrying a large stack of bath towels, Jolene nearly fell as her foot skidded on a small rectangular object. Righting herself quickly, she looked down to see one of Abel's toy cages lying on the carpet.

"Abel," Jolene called out ominously. "What did I tell you about leaving your toys lying around?"

Sheepishly, Abel peeped around the edge of his bedroom's open door to see his mother standing on the landing with her arms full. "I sorry, Mommy. I forgot." Quickly running towards her, he bent down to pick up the small yellow sports car.

"Baby, you need to be more careful. Now put that away in your toy box. Have you finished packing your books?"

Abel nodded his head. Even he was doing his part for the big move.

"Then go downstairs and see if Daddy needs any help."

Abel carefully negotiated the short set of stairs to the first floor and than ran around the maze of boxes towards the living room and his father.

Jolene carried the last contents of the hallway linen closet into the master suite and dropped them on the bed where Donna was packing boxes. "Girl, for a rental, I can't believe how much crap I've managed to collect in just six months."

"That's what happens when you get a new place." Donna said as she wiped the sweat from her brow. "Suddenly, the stuff you had is not good enough for the new place and you buy more stuff. Now you're moving again and what didja do? You went on a shopping spree and bought _more_ stuff. It's an endless cycle."

 _Donna's right_ , Jolene thought, but as she had enjoyed every minute of it, it made no sense to complain about having to pack it up now.

Jax and Jolene had finally closed on their dream house last week, which when she thought about it, hadn't taken nearly as long as house hunting should. Now that the former owners had moved out, the Teller-Morrow family would be spending the entire weekend packing and moving into their new home.

Not only did they have to pack up all their belongings from the townhouse, but they had stuff from Jax's dorm and their first home that had to be moved, as well. There was even a storage unit that Gemma had of more of Jax's stuff, including some items that had belonged to his father. Jolene still refused to set foot in what she called the "Ho House," so it was up to Jax to pack up the rest of his belongings and a bunch of Jolene's items that she had left behind.

Gemma volunteered, along with the Prospect, to go over and give Jax a helping hand. She reported back to Jolene that the house had been horrifying in the extreme, looking like one of the houses she'd seen on those hoarder shows. The filth had been so bad that Gemma had called a cleaning service from Stockton to come in and gut the place. As the Queen of Charming, she was too embarrassed to let the locals know that someone associated with the MC had lived like that.

But come Sunday night, all nonsense regarding ho houses and ex-wives would be forgotten as Jax, Jolene, and their son spent the first of many nights in their new home.

* * *

Jax sighed contentedly as he cuddled with his old lady in their bed in their new master bedroom. Looking at the open French doors leading to the balcony, Jax noted the large beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers sitting on the small table at the edge of the doors.

"Hey, darlin', where did those flowers come from?"

Jolene snuggled deeper under the deep wine colored comforter. "They're from Britt. A 'welcome to your new home' gift. Nice, huh?"

"Those are some big-ass flowers." Jax replied.

"I think she was very happy with her commission, but it was sticking it to Jacob Hale that really made her day." Jolene laughed.

"I'm glad we could help her out." Jax growled sexily as he hugged his old lady to his chest. Any time he could stick it to the Hale family was okay with him.

Actually, now that Jax had settled his score with David Hale, he was feeling pretty secure in his relationship with Jolene. Not that he would ever believe that she had harbored any real feelings for Robocop, but nonetheless, he felt that that door had been closed under no uncertain terms.

As a matter of fact, after their battle royale several weeks ago, Hale had been pretty scarce around town, making Jax wonder if SAMCRO no longer had Deputy Dog to worry about. Unfortunately, Jax had run into Chief Unser about a week ago and he had made a point of mentioning that Hale had gone away for a week or so for a little rest and relaxation.

Jax smiled a little to himself. _I bet it was for more of one than the other._

Seeing the little smirk her old man was sporting, Jolene grabbed hold of Jax's goatee and yanked his face towards her. "What did you do?"

Jax's eyes quickly rounded in innocence. "Do? I'm doing nothing but giving my old lady a proper homecoming."

Jolene narrowed her eyes. "I know you, Jackson Teller and that look on your face ten seconds ago had nothing to do with giving me a 'proper homecoming.' It was more of a 'I just whopped your ass' look."

_God, she knows me so well._

Jax had managed, with all of the things keeping Jolene busy regarding the wedding and work, to avoid explaining the minor bruising on his face on the night of his re-proposal, and he wasn't about to revisit the subject.

Quickly grabbing hold of his old lady, he stood up and carried her naked and squealing into their new master bathroom shower that had five shower jets.

Looking down at the love of his life, Jax leered, "I think it's time we start the christening."

* * *

Jax walked out of the master bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist to find his old lady sitting on their bed almost in a near-panic as she rummaged through her handbag.

"Shit!" She muttered under her breath as she pulled out her daily planner and tossed her bag onto the floor. Flipping through the pages, Jolene stopped when she found what she was looking for and growled in frustration. "No refills." She announced to no one in particular.

"Everything a'ight, darlin'?" Jax asked as he approached her and cupped her face in his hands.

"Yeah . . . No . . . Oh, I don't know." Jolene wrapped her arms around Jax's naked waist. "You haven't seen my birth control, have you? I can't find it in this mess and I have no refills left and no time whatsoever tomorrow to go to the doctor for a prescription."

Kissing her on the forehead, Jax pulled away and went to the drawer of his bedside table. "This what you're looking for?" He held up a dial dispenser in the form of a pale pink pill case.

Jolene's shoulders slumped in relief. "Oh thank you. You're a lifesaver." She went to grab the pills, but Jax held them out of her reach.

"Can we talk about these?" Jax asked as he sat next to her on the bed.

Jolene quirked an eyebrow at him. "Sure, baby. What about 'em?"

"What would happen if you stopped taking them?" Jax flipped open the case, his thumb grazing the little blue pills.

Jolene gave him a half-smile. "I'd probably get knocked up by the end of the week." She exaggerated, but not really.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" He asked, his eyes searching her face.

"It's not a bad thing at all, Jax." Jolene shook her head as she moved closer to him on the bed, their thighs almost touching. Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, Jolene couldn't help but chuckle nervously. "Do you want us to have another baby?"

"Don't sound so surprised, darlin'," Jax smiled. "But, yeah, I do, and sooner rather than later."

"I just started teaching," Jolene started, but Jax interrupted her.

"I know, baby and this is not me trying to keep you from doing that." Jax explained. "It's just that Abel's getting older and I want him to have a brother or sister to grow up with, close in age and he's already four and I'm almost thirty—"

"Okay, you can slow down." Jolene smiled as she grabbed his hands. "Truth is I've thought about having more babies, too, but . . . I'm just a little scared."

Knowing exactly what had her scared, Jax placed one of her hands over his heart. "I'm healthy as a horse, darlin'. Only been in the hospital once in my life and that was for a broken collarbone."

Actually, Jax had been in the hospital twice, but Jolene knew he was as reluctant as she was about bringing up the night they were both shot. Instead, she took a deep breath as she nodded. "I know."

Jax continued. "Nobody's saying we'll get lucky this time, but I've got a feeling." He flashed her one of his irresistible lopsided grins.

The man she loved, the man she was committing herself to for a lifetime, wanted her to have more of his babies. Looking into his bright blue eyes and feeling her heart melt, Jolene, a great believer in destiny, had to believe that having Jax Teller's children was a part of all that. Taking the pill case from his hand, Jolene leaned over and tossed it into the wastebasket by the night stand.

"It may take a while for the medication to clear out of my system," Jolene started coyly.

"I know." Jax smiled as he watched her slowly inching her bathrobe off her bare shoulders.

"Wanna practice anyway?" Jolene pulled her hair out of the ponytail and let the long dark curls cascade over her full breasts.

Jax licked his lips suddenly gone dry. _She's too beautiful for words_ , he marveled as he watched her crawl across the bed on her hands and knees before propping herself against a multitude of pillows.

"Darlin'," Jax started, his eyes taking in every inch of her, her knees bent and her legs slightly parted. "You know that's like asking a starving man if he wants a sandwich."

Like the calm before a storm, their eyes locked and Jax could see her chest heaving slightly with excitement. Feeling like she was being stalked by a majestic jungle cat, Jolene nearly jumped out of her skin and heard herself squeal before she could stop herself as Jax ripped off his towel and pounced.

* * *

_I am in the shit big time._

Speeding down the I-22 in her rental car, all Ronnie Armstrong could hope for was that some other catastrophe had happened to take the heat off of her for arriving over two days late for her best friend's wedding.

Ronnie had been relieved to have talked Jolene out of forcing her to be in the bridal party. Even though Jolene's wedding was destined to be a pretty laid back affair, Ronnie had a deep and abiding hatred of the pomp and ceremony associated with formal occasions. She'd had enough of that shit shoved down her throat by her wealthy and social ladder-climbing parents when she was growing up.

Despite her parents' goals for her, Ronnie had managed to forge her own way in the world, living the bohemian lifestyle of an artist and part-time tattooist. Having recently celebrated her twenty-sixth birthday, Ronnie had inherited a huge trust fund set up for her by her grandparents and she was now independently wealthy. Not that it mattered to her in the grand scheme of things, but the money had given her a certain amount of freedom and allowed her to traipse all over the country and world, attending art shows and tattoo conventions and generally enjoying herself for the last couple of months.

But having enjoyed herself a little too much at a convention in New Orleans, Ronnie had missed her plane connections and had been stuck in several airports due to bad weather patterns. She had finally managed to get into Oakland literally hours before Jolene's bridal shower. As if Jolene's stepmother didn't dislike her enough, Ronnie was sure to incur the wrath of Gemma Teller if she disappointed her friend.

The siren that had apparently been blaring for a while, finally made it through to Ronnie's brain.

_Shit! Damn! Fuck!_

Ronnie pulled the sky blue convertible rental over as a Jeep Wrangler pulled in behind her.

 _This is just fuckin' great_ , Ronnie thought sourly. _I have to get pulled over by some podunk cop ten minutes away from Charming_.

Throwing her cheap sunglasses into the passenger seat, Ronnie ran her hands through her short, spiky blond hair. Looking up at the tall slim deputy, Ronnie was hit with a startling pair of bright blue eyes.

 _Damn, he's not half bad. Not at all_.

Looking down at the driver, Hale was surprised to find a sexy blond woman at the wheel. With her short hair, he had been fooled into thinking she was a guy from behind.

 _I totally got that wrong_. Hale tried not to gawk at the attractive young woman as he asked for her license and registration.

Rummaging around in her dilapidated hobo bag, Ronnie finally retrieved her wallet and the rental car's paperwork.

"You do realize that you were doing 85, right?" However, as he scanned her license he was surprised when he recognized the name. "Veronica Armstrong, daughter of Russell and Cecilia Armstrong?"

Ronnie looked up at the cop. "Do I know you?"

"You might. I'm David Hale."

Ronnie smiled. "Yeah, I remember you. Your mother and mine had the same circle of friends. How have you been?"

"I've been great and you look wonderful." Hale smiled. Remembering how shocked his mother had been that Veronica had been allowed to associate with Jolene Morrow when they were in grade school, he asked, "So, I guess you're here for the wedding?"

"Yep, and I'm two days late. I'm sure Jolene is about to shit a brick thinking I'm not gonna make the bridal shower."

The wedding had been the talk of the town for weeks now. There was no getting away from it, but very few of the town's inhabitants had been invited. Hale was pretty sure that Unser and his wife were going, although he never asked the Chief.

"I'm sure she'll make a beautiful bride. It's too bad they're not getting married in town. It would have been nice to see her." Hale commented and genuinely meant it in a general way. He had moved on and was doing his best to find someone who wanted to be a part of his life.

"I plan on stopping by Nicky's diner before hitting the road out of town on Monday. If you're not busy, maybe you'll join me for a cup of coffee around eight. I'm not the best photographer in the world, but I plan on taking a lot of pictures. At least you'll get to see the bride and groom."

Hale smiled down at the woman. "I'll see you then." He returned her license and paperwork and started to walk away, but caught himself and turned back. "I did stop you for speeding, didn't I? Why don't you buy me breakfast and we'll call it even?"

Ronnie put the car in drive. "Sounds like a win-win for me. See you then."

* * *

Jax tapped the screen, hitting "End Call" and shoved his pre-pay into the pocket of his jeans. That was the fourth time in the past hour he had called his old lady's phone and it had gone to voice-mail. She wasn't going anywhere, of this he was convinced, but it still would have been nice to hear her voice as he wondered for the hundredth time tonight, _what the fuck am I doing here_?

His brothers meant well as they coaxed him to enjoy his last night of "freedom" before the wedding tomorrow. They went as far as to tell him that they would turn a blind eye if he decided to indulge in one last indiscretion before he committed himself to one woman. But the truth was, Jax had committed himself to one woman the moment his eyes had connected with Jolene's in the Visitor's Center in Chino so many months ago. He wasn't about to fuck it all up by giving in to the temptation of cheap pussy. Truth was, in spite of all the nearly-naked porn stars prancing around Cara Cara tonight, Jax wasn't tempted in the least. Having the woman he loved back in his life and waiting to commit to a lifetime with him was more than enough to cure him of his Wandering Dick Syndrome.

Jax, nursing the same bottle of beer since he arrived over an hour ago, walked towards a sitting area where Clay was currently holding court in an armchair as Opie knocked back shots of whiskey on the couch. Plopping himself down next to his best friend and Best Man, Jax took a swig of his beer. All three men sat in comfortable silence as they watched a studio full of Sons, SAMCRO and as well as from other charters, frolic in a field of pussy and booze.

"I think I'm breaking out soon." Jax announced to no one in particular.

Looking at his watch, Clay snickered. "It's barely nine o'clock. What? Baby girl's got your dick on lockdown?"

Jax smirked, about to retort that hers was the only pussy in the world that could keep his dick on lockdown, when a drunk Bobby Elvis staggered into their conversation.

"Please! Kit's had his dick on lockdown since that night in Oak-Town." He blurted, as Jax shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 _Yeah, I should've broken out way before now_ , Jax made to get up off the couch, but Clay stopped him.

"Sit your ass back down." Clay demanded and Jax dropped back onto the couch, Bobby's eyes widening at Jax's unmistakable glare. "When was this and what happened in Oakland?"

Quickly sobering up, Bobby replied, "It was a long time ago, Clay. Not important at all in the grand scheme of things."

"I'll be the judge of that." Clay retorted. "Besides, I think I'm finally gonna hear the story of how my daughter and stepson hooked up."

"Shit, that happened way before Oakland." Opie muttered under his breath, a little louder than he thought as Jax, Clay, and Bobby turned in unison to glare at him.

"You are some dime-dropping motherfuckers, you know that?" Jax said as he shook his head in disbelief.

Clay chuckled. "Good thing I ain't a cop or you'd be in the shit for tapping underage pussy."

"Nah, he's good. I think the statute of limitations ran out on that shit a while ago." Bobby advised with a smirk.

Jax rubbed the hair on his chin, unable to suppress a grin as his mind's eye took him back to that night in Oakland. "Shit, when it comes to Jo, especially back then, bro, age was just a number."

"Maybe I don't wanna know what happened." Clay realized. Although nothing would change his affection for his daughter, there were just certain things a father didn't need to know.

"You most certainly don't." Bobby exclaimed.

"You brought it up, asshole!" Jax laughed.

"Hey, in my defense, I don't know exactly what went down in Oak-Town. I just know what I saw when you came back to the Clubhouse." Bobby started. "And for the first time in your life, the hunter became the hunted and you had no fuckin' clue what to do about it."

"Oh I knew what to do about it all right and, had you not followed us to the dorms, I might be telling a different story." Jax leered. "But Bobby's got a point. This thing between me and Jo, it was all her, bro. At the time, I didn't know what the fuck had hit me."

"I just can't believe you never clued into it, brother." Bobby said to Clay, shaking his head. "Kit's been gunning for Jax since the fifth grade. Told me so herself that one day she'd be his old lady, the _only_ old lady he would ever need."

Sitting forward, his elbows on his denim-clad knees, Jax shook his head. "And she was right."

"Clay may not want to hear it, but I gotta know." Opie stated. "Just what the fuck did happen in Oakland?"

Placing his half-empty beer bottle on the floor between his feet, Jax straightened up and gave his brothers an extremely redacted version of his "talk" with Jolene at the streams and their night in Oakland. Bobby had known about the two rich kid d-bags, Doug and Frankie, who had taken Jolene to a night club and purposefully got her drunk. However, this was Clay's first time hearing about the events that could have ended very badly for his baby girl. Although he was quite pissed, he was also relieved and grateful that Jax had been watching out for her even back then.

Jax may have been the older and the wiser of the two, but Clay had no delusions regarding his daughter. Baby girl had a knack for getting what she wanted. Back in the day, Clay would have said that Jax was downplaying his role in the whole situation by saying that he hadn't known what hit him. But as Clay knew from experience, a good old lady always called the shots. Their men were just along for the ride. He knew Jax was leaving shit out. The barely contained salacious grin on his face as he talked about Oakland and getting to the Clubhouse that night was a dead giveaway.

 _Whatever_. His daughter was home and happy, his VP and future son-in-law was also home and whole, and he had a beautiful grandson.

"You are definitely not telling the whole story, bro." Opie accused.

"Damn straight I'm not!" Jax smiled as he pulled himself up from the couch. "I don't kiss and tell. Besides, all you need to know is that for once, I was totally innocent."

"Totally?" Bobby said skeptically.

"Totally. I'm not saying I put up a fight 'cause I sure as fuck didn't stop her, but I didn't start it either."

"Okay, enough!" Clay bellowed as he waved Jax away. "Get going, if you have to. The last thing I need are word pictures flashing in my brain as I'm walking baby girl down the aisle tomorrow."

* * *

The Teller-Morrow house was lit up like a Christmas tree and packed to capacity. With several charters in town for the wedding, Gemma was not only playing hostess during Jolene's bridal shower, she was also playing hostess to a small pack of out-of-town old ladies. The Queen of Charming was representing the mother charter and she had to put her best foot forward and show this ragtag bunch just how a real and proper old lady operates. Gemma was so preoccupied with coordinating her army of resident old ladies, including Donna, that neither had noticed that the bride-to-be had gone AWOL. Last time anyone could recall seeing her was right after Jolene had finished opening gifts and had excused herself to go check on Abel. That was over an hour ago. Trapped in a Martha Stewart-style entertaining hell of her own making, Gemma kept waiting for the window of opportunity to open so she could slip out and drag Jolene's ass back from wherever she had taken off to.

 _Ten will get you twenty I know exactly where the little heifer took off to_ , Gemma theorized as she pulled another massive tray of hors d'oeuvres from the oven.

Neeta had outdone herself with the canapés, which included mini-grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, bacon-wrapped shrimp, mini-cheeseburgers, chicken skewers, filet of steak on toast, bruschetta, and mini-crab cakes. The spread she had put out was a hit, but even that wasn't going to save Neeta's hide as Gemma had told her to keep an eye on Jolene. With Jax set to crash at the Clubhouse after the Bachelor party at Cara Cara, Gemma had known Jolene was a flight risk. That's why she had taken her car keys and pre-pay out of Jolene's purse when she hadn't been looking. Gemma needed to get an early start in the morning and she wanted the bride where she could keep an eye on her. In hindsight, taking her cell phone had been a bad move because now Gemma couldn't call and scream bloody murder at Jolene.

With the bridal shower festivities raging at full-blast in the house and in the back yard, Jolene had slipped out through the front to catch a breath of fresh air. Neeta, who had been recruited by Gemma to spend the night as well, caught Jolene on her way out the door, but instead of ratting her out, promised she would keep an eye on Abel. Jolene had no intention of leaving the party, but apparently Neeta knew something she didn't as Jolene stepped outside and found her old man sitting on his bike in the street. Judging from the number of cigarette butts in his immediate area, it was clear that he had been patiently waiting for his soon-to-be wife to make an appearance outside for awhile now.

Jolene skipped down the porch steps and into Jax's arms as he got off his bike and met her half way up the walkway. Hugging him tightly, Jolene looked up into his beautiful and smiling eyes as he came forward and locked lips with her.

"I know your party just got started, darlin' and you can say no if you want to, but I'm here to steal you away." Jax held her face lovingly in his gloved hands.

Jolene beamed up at him. "Jackson, really, when has 'no' ever been a part of my vocabulary where you're concerned?"

Smiling, Jax barely had the chance to drop another kiss on her lips before she broke free and practically ran to Jax's bike. "Come on, before Mother Gemma releases the hounds." Jolene threw her helmet on and tossed Jax his. "Where are we headed? Clubhouse?"

"Or Reno. Your call, darlin'."

"Are you serious?"

"I wanna give you what you want, Jo and I know this big production wasn't it. This is Gemma's dream wedding, baby, not yours."

Just when Jolene thought she couldn't possibly love her old man anymore than she already did, he would open his mouth and say something like that. To even suggest something like eloping the night before the wedding just proved how much he loved her and how important her happiness was to him. If Jolene took him up on his offer, they would have hell to pay and hurt feelings to deal with when they returned to Charming, yet he didn't give a shit about any of that if eloping was what she wanted.

And she did. But she couldn't.

Jolene wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him tenderly. "Thank you."

"Reno?" He asked, his eyes sparkling devilishly.

Jolene shook her head. "Clubhouse."

"You sure? I'm giving you an out, darlin'. I'll tell everyone I kidnapped you."

"And the fact that you would do that for me guarantees you BJs on command for the rest of your life." Jolene smiled as Jax's eyes widened. "But this is no longer just about you and me. I would have preferred something a little smaller and way less formal, but our family, Jax, the Club, Abel, after all we've put them through, this is more for them than it is for us. In my heart, I'm already your wife."

"That's 'cause you are. Have been for a long time, darlin'."

"Yeah, I'm glad to hear it, but that doesn't get you out of making it official tomorrow." Jolene teased. "I've waited too damn long for this day. Hope you're worth it."

"Hey, I told you years ago I wasn't, but you're as hard-headed as your daddy and it's too late now, darlin'. Not only are you wearing my crow, but I already knocked your ass up once. There's no getting away from me now."

"So I can count on you being there tomorrow?" Jolene teased.

"I'm here tonight, I'll be there tomorrow, and I'll be with you for the rest of my life, darlin'." Jax dropped a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. Settling himself on his bike, Jax waited for Jolene to climb on.

"So you're not superstitious at all about spending the night before our wedding together?" Jolene asked as she wrapped her arms around Jax's waist after climbing onto her seat.

"No." Jax said simply. "Honestly, darlin', I was more nervous about _not_ spending the night together. After all we've been through, Jo, no one, not even my evil dictator of a mother will ever keep us apart again."

* * *

Although Gemma had been thrown for a loop when Jolene had nixed having the wedding at the Oswald Estate, she reluctantly caved in. Overlooking a small lake, the parcel of land set aside for tribal celebrations was beautiful and with the proper set up suggested by Gemma's event planner, the site was elegantly outfitted for the wedding and reception. It wasn't as fancy or glamorous as what Gemma had envisioned had they used the Oswald Estate, but it was still pretty awesome.

Jolene insisted on the location, which had been offered to Clay by Chief Charlie Horse himself. SAMCRO and the Wahewa Native American Tribe had a long-standing working relationship, with the Wahewa manufacturing top of the line ammunition for the merch sold by the MC. The last thing Gemma expected, however, was for Jolene to go all vegan hippie chick on her and insist on binding herself to her old man as they became one with nature and all that happy shit, but the young woman had been adamant. After canceling Jolene's dress for a second time, thus incurring the wrath of Jax, Gemma decided to err on the side of caution. If Gemma knew her son—and she most certainly did—Jax had every intention of following through on his threat to elope if Gemma didn't back off.

So here she was, supervising a couple of the Prospects as they ushered guests to their seats set up in a beautiful green and purple meadow near a copse of trees. A platform made of sun bleached raw wood was set up where Jax, his Best Man Opie, and Chief Charlie Horse would wait as the bride, accompanied by her father, made her way down the center of two lines of motorcycles set up face-to-face in what was traditionally an aisle for biker weddings.

With less than an hour left before the ceremony, Donna, the Matron of Honor, was getting a little antsy as Jolene was still sitting in the same chair going on for two hours now. It had taken a while, but suddenly and without warning, the Bridezilla had come to life in Jolene as Gina, from Gina's Cut-N-Curl and her daughter Lexie worked on her hair and make-up. For the past four weeks, Jolene had generally managed to keep out of the way while Gemma ran roughshod over half of the town's merchants in her effort to pull together the SAMCRO event of the year. Up until Jolene had pulled a 180 and insisted on changing venues, all she was determined to decide for herself were her gown and how she would do her hair and make up. Gemma got the memo, but in typical Gemma fashion, decided that mother always knew best and convinced Gina to do a full updo instead of the half-updo that Jolene had requested.

Needless to say, the shit fit that, up until this moment, the easy-going bride had thrown was epic and had taken everyone, especially Gemma, by surprise. Jax loved her hair and took advantage of every opportunity he got to loosen it from a ponytail or some fussy hairstyle she'd fashion to make herself look more like a schoolteacher. There was only one way Jolene wanted her hair on this day and that was loose and flowing with ringlets starting at the top of her head and trailing down her shoulders and back.

"How's this, sweetie?" Gina asked, putting down her curling iron and picking up a large hand held mirror.

Jolene took a deep breath and looked into the mirror. Gina, who must have been separated at birth from Dolly Parton, looked on as she fought the urge to bite her pink acrylic nails. Jolene sat stone-faced and scrutinized herself from every angle possible. Finally, putting the mirror down on the makeshift vanity, Jolene looked up at Gina.

"I love it." She smiled happily. "Thank you."

And with that, Jolene noticed Gina's tense shoulders deflate as she relaxed. As a matter of fact, it seemed like the entire room, including Gemma, Donna, Ronnie, and Lexie, let out a collective sigh relief. Realizing this, Jolene felt a twinge of remorse for going off on Gina before. Instead, she should have torn a strip off of Gemma's hide because who knew when she'd get the opportunity again to out-Diva the Diva herself and actually get away with it.

Wearing a white satin robe with "Future Mrs. Teller" embroidered on the back in lilac, Jolene got up from her chair. "I am so sorry for yelling at you before."

Gina smiled broadly and grabbed Jolene's hands. "Don't worry about it, sweetie. Every bride gets a little anxious and short-tempered on her big day. I totally understand."

"Thank you, but I really have no excuse." Jolene embraced Gina. "I directed my anger at the wrong person." She almost whispered.

"I certainly understand that, too." Gina chuckled as the two women separated.

Jolene Morrow had a reputation around Charming for having a steel rod for a spine, but even that couldn't explain how the young woman had managed to keep her cool until now. Gina, who at 67 still had an eye for younger men, would be hard pressed herself to marry the very handsome and very sexy Jax Teller knowing that his control freak mother was part of the package.

"Jo, we really have to get you into your dress." Donna declared, pointing to her watch as Jolene thanked Gina and Lexie again before escorting them to the door.

"Okay, okay." Jolene trotted over to Donna, who was removing Jolene's dress from the garment bag.

"Everything under control here?" Gemma, who was wearing a figure-flattering Roberto Cavalli one-shouldered dark blue silk dress, asked.

"Yep, and if I hurry my ass up, I may have time to spare for a shot of tequila." Jolene smiled.

"Good. I'm gonna go check on Jax now." Gemma opened the door to the trailer set up by the Wahewa for Jolene to use as a dressing room. "I'm glad to see, that after getting your way, you're now in a better mood."

A dumbstruck Jolene turned to look at her two best friends with wide eyes after Gemma left and closed the door behind her. "Is she freakin' kidding me?"

Donna couldn't help the guffaw that flew out of her mouth. "Yeah, Jo, why are you such a bitch?" She teased sarcastically.

"For your sake, I hope Jax is more than just a pretty face, Jo." Ronnie teased. "He better be a phenom in the sack 'cause shit, something has to make all _that_ worthwhile."

"I would say Gemma's bark is worse than her bite, but I'd be lying. She does mean well . . . I hope." Jolene replied. "And for the record, I can cum just thinking about my old man, he's that fucking good."

Ronnie's eyes widened. "See, I knew it. He has to be a multiple-orgasm kinda guy because it's a damn miracle you and your monster-in-law haven't killed each other."

"Yet." Donna snarked. "Day's not over."

* * *

As guests continued to arrive, Jax decided to take a break from greeting everyone. Finding a secluded area away from the chatter and the music from the live band, Jax leaned against a tree as he lit a cigarette and watched as his best friend approached.

"Can you believe this turnout, bro?" Opie marveled, accepting a smoke from the pack Jax offered. "There are Nomads here from as far as New York."

Jax shook his head as he chuckled. "I guess it's safe to say that Gemma got the word out, huh?"

Opie nodded as he lit his cigarette. "How you holding up?" He asked.

"It's almost four o'clock and I haven't seen my mother all day." Jax started. "I'd say I'm holding up pretty fuckin' great."

Opie laughed. "I gather you're still tight at Gemma?"

Jax nodded as he took a deep drag. "She's been giving Jo a hard time and I finally had to cut into her last week. Haven't spoken to her since."

"Putting aside your mama drama," Opie flicked the ashes off his cigarette before taking another puff. "I feel like I'm slacking in my duties as Best Man 'cause you seem cool, bro. Too cool, actually."

"That's 'cause I am. I love my old lady," Jax stated emphatically. "And I'm going into this with my eyes wide open, man. No fear, no hesitation whatsoever 'cause I know she's the only one for me, Ope."

"Jo's known that since she was ten." Opie teased.

"So I've heard." Jax smiled. "I'm a dumbass for not seeing it sooner."

"No, I think you timed it _almost_ perfectly. Tapping that before she was seventeen would have been a little too 'Tig' for my taste. I would have been forced to kick your ass then."

Jax was laughing when he suddenly stopped, an all-too familiar scent hitting his nostrils. With narrowed eyes, Jax watched as his mother broke through the foliage surrounding them, joint in hand.

"Wahewa land is gorgeous, but it's a little too earthy for my taste." Gemma complained as she approached her son and surrogate son. "Should have known better than to wear designer shoes." She smiled broadly as she looked at Jax.

Handing her joint over to Opie, Gemma walked up to Jax and immediately started straightening the white button-down shirt he wore underneath his cut. "Wow, look at this. Slacks _and_ dress shoes. How come I can't ever get you to dress this nice?"

"You're not pussy." Jax replied, giving Gemma a cold, dead-eye stare.

"Humph!" Gemma huffed. "And what's with the stink face? It's your wedding day, for fuck's sake. You should be happy."

"I was," Jax started. "Until about a minute ago."

Gemma narrowed her eyes at her son. She knew Jax and knew how this was going to play out. Inside her tough outlaw biker son lived a bratty, petulant child that he reserved just for her and he knew how to push his mother's buttons. Jax was either going to continue being a snarky asshole or go back to acting like she didn't exist until she apologized. Either way, Gemma couldn't stand being at odds with her only son. This may not be his first wedding day, but it was the one that mattered most to him and, knowing how much he loved Jolene, it was sure to be his last.

"Can you give us a moment, Ope?" Gemma asked without looking away from Jax.

"You know, I was just about to excuse myself." Opie handed Jax the joint with a smirk and took off through the trees.

"What's with the attitude, shithead?" Gemma demanded, folding her arms underneath her chest.

Not what he was expecting to hear, Jax did a double take as he was caught off guard.

"Sucks when you're on the receiving end, don't it?" Jax replied after taking a hit from the joint in his hand. "Just giving you a dose of the medicine you've been shoving down Jolene's throat for weeks now."

"And that's the thanks I get for putting together this whole wedding?" Gemma marveled.

Jax was apoplectic. "No one asked you to! If I remember correctly—and I know that I do—we were happily on our way to Reno."

"So after all you two have been through, Reno was the best you could do for your old lady?"

"Yeah and do you know why? Because that's what she wanted. Do you have any idea how I know that? Because I asked, which is more than you've done in the last month." Jax explained, effectively shutting down any argument Gemma had to make after that. "After four years apart, the last thing Jo wanted was to keep waiting. We could have always had a blow out of a reception afterwards."

"Okay, I get it." Gemma said demurely. "I'm sorry."

Jax shook his head and chuckled, feeling like an asshole for going off on his mom, but he'd be damned before he had anyone accuse him ever again of not being the old man Jolene needs.

"That's great, Mom. Thanks," Jax reached for Gemma and wrapped his arms around her. "But I'm not the one you owe an apology to."

"You can pass along my apology to Jolene, can't you?" Gemma asked as she pulled out of his embrace.

"I could, but I'm not." Jax shrugged his shoulders. "So what are you gonna do?"

Gemma took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm going to apologize to Jolene the first chance I get today, okay?" She asked.

Jax smiled. "That's all I ask."

Lovingly running her hand over the lapel of his cut, Gemma smiled. "You look happy."

"I am happy, Mom. I'm just anxious to slap that ring on my old lady and call it a day. I haven't seen her or my son since this morning."

"Abel should be running around here any second now. Your bride on the other hand," Gemma advised. "When you finally get to lay eyes on her, I think you'll agree it was worth the wait."

Suddenly serious, Jax searched Gemma's face. "All bullshit aside, Mom, thanks for doing this for us."

Feeling herself get a little teary-eyed, Gemma cleared her throat. "You know I would do anything for you and your beautiful little family. I love you, Jackson."

"I love you, too, Mom."

* * *

Clay wasn't in as much denial as people thought he was. He had eyes in his head and, even though he was growing more and more dependent on his eyeglasses to read, he could see just fine. Clay knew Jolene was a beautiful girl, always had been. Even in her grease monkey tomboy days. But Clay had not been prepared for the vision that was standing before him nervously clutching a bouquet of cream-colored Calla Lilies and Lilac flowers.

Jolene was looking at her father like a deer caught in the headlights, her green eyes wide and shiny. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Jolene finally found her voice.

"God, Dad, please say something." She almost pleaded. Clay blinked his own suddenly-moist eyes rapidly, reluctantly chasing away the image of six year old Jolene on the day they first met from his mind's eye. His little girl, although always precocious, had grown up just too damn fast. "I look ridiculous, don't I? I hate wearing dresses." Jolene grumbled as she fussed with the train of her figure-hugging gown.

Surprised to find himself choked with emotion, Clay cleared his throat, twice, before allowing himself to speak. "You're breaking this old man's heart you're so damn beautiful, baby girl." Approaching his daughter, Clay grabbed her free hand, which was a little shaky and, not surprisingly, ice cold. "I think it's safe to say that I have never loved anybody in this world the way I love you, Jolene. As fucked up as your egg donor was, I thank my lucky stars everyday for letting my path cross with hers. If not, I wouldn't be standing here today, a proud father and grandfather. I'm just sorry I wasn't there for you in the beginning."

Jolene was shaking her head, "But you were. You've been there for me since day one because I only started living when I came to Charming." Feeling herself get overcome with emotion, Jolene tried to throw on the brakes for the sake of her make-up. "You will always be my first love, Daddy, my knight in shining armor." Letting go of her hand, Clay searched the inside pocket of his cut for his bandana in order to dab away her tears, in hopes of diverting attention away from the fact that he was crying too.

Tucking the kerchief back into his pocket after blowing his own nose, Clay grabbed her hand again. He marveled that it was so dainty and small in his own bear claw-sized mitt.

"I already know the answer, but I wouldn't be doing my job as your father if I didn't ask. You absolutely sure this is what you want, sweetheart?"

Delicately swiping away the last of her tears, Jolene beamed up at her father. "I'm sure."

"Jax is a good man and I love him like a son, but you are my greatest contribution to this damn world, baby girl." Clay started. "I may be a little late to the party, but it is clear to me now that you two were meant for each other. You make him a better person and he makes you happy. As a parent, I can't ask for anything more. He just better be good to you. Always."

"He is, Daddy, and I know he always will be."

"You love him a whole lot, don't you?" Clay smiled.

"I can't even put into words how much." Jolene closed her eyes as her father gently pressed a kiss against her forehead. Gathering her composure again, Jolene looked up at her father. "Did you talk to Uncle Elvis?"

Clay shook his head. "Nah, I told him you wanted to speak to him before the wedding. This should come from you, baby girl."

"And you're okay with it?" Jolene questioned, her eyes wide.

"Absolutely."

* * *

Jax was standing on the platform in front of a large group comprised mostly of his brothers from across the country and their old ladies. Also among the guests, numbering in the hundreds, was the Niners' leader, LaRoy Wayne and his brother Antoine and a small army of their crew, as well Tony Cacuzza and his wife and, all the way from Northern Ireland, his brothers from the SAMBEL charter who had been charged with protecting the Irish Kings, who were also in attendance, during their stateside visit. Gemma, sitting in the second chair of the first row with Abel on her lap, clutched the hand of her dear old friend Chief Wayne Unser, who was sitting with his wife Della, a member of the Wahewa Tribe herself.

Just as Jax realized that the standing around and waiting was finally making him a little nervous, two guitarists from the band started playing what was unmistakably the Wedding March. Opie nudged his head in the opposite direction and Jax knew what he was trying to draw his attention to even before he looked. Jax took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself mentally for the sight he was about to behold to no avail. As he turned in the direction of the makeshift aisle, Jax was almost knocked to his knees.

 _Shit! When she's right, she's right_ , Jax said to himself, thinking about what his mother had said earlier.

He loved Jolene with a passion he couldn't even understand himself, much less explain to anyone else. No matter where she was, his old lady was always the most beautiful woman in the room. Some might say he was biased, but Jax could see in the faces and body language of other men that he wasn't the only one that was awestruck by her presence.

Today, seeing her in the form-fitting cream satin sheath gown with the beaded embroidered dropped waist and chapel train, Jax was sure he was struck speechless as well. Her dark and shiny hair was adorned with two pearl and crystal combs in a floral motif, allowing her curls to fall about her shoulders and back in long, spiral ringlets. Her eyes were wide and luminous as she lovingly looked from her father on her right to her Uncle Elvis on her left as they guided her down the aisle. Jax had never seen her look more beautiful.

Finally, making contact as their eyes clashed, Jolene felt her heart trying to pound its way out of her chest. She was overwhelmed by the love—with just a touch of lust—she saw pouring out of her old man's eyes. Pulling her gaze away from his, Jolene let her eyes travel the length of his lean, hard body. She smiled to herself as she realized that for the first time in her life she was seeing Jax in something other than jeans or sweatpants and, not that there was ever any doubt, but hot damn, he cleaned up real nice, too!

The world seemed to stop for Jolene as she watched her old man waiting to make her his wife. So intent was she on Jax that all she could hear were the birds chirping in the trees, whose leaves rustled slightly in the warm Spring breeze. She couldn't hear the music playing softly in the background and it took her a minute to register that they had reached the end of the aisle and that Bobby was trying to get her attention.

Jolene felt herself blush slightly as both Bobby and Clay chuckled. After kissing her on the cheek, Bobby gently pulled Jolene into his embrace.

"I love you, Kit." Bobby squeezed her tenderly.

"I know," Jolene planted a big kiss on his bearded cheek. "I love you too, Uncle Elvis."

Turning to her father, Clay nearly swallowed her up in a bear hug that forced a soft squeal out of Jolene, causing a ripple of laughter to spread through the crowd.

"There's still time to make a run for it." Clay teased against her ear.

Pulling away and dropping a kiss on his cheek, Jolene smiled. "Never. I'm done running from my destiny."

Jax cleared his throat loudly. "Can I have my bride now?" He kidded as he threw a wink at Jolene.

"Yea, Clay! Let her go already! She lives two damn blocks away, for Chrissake's!" Chibs called out cheekily, prompting most of SAMCRO to second the motion with catcalls and whistles.

Clay pointed menacingly at each of his brothers before flipping them the bird. "You bastards just want to get the party started so you can get hammered."

"What's wrong with that?" Tig called out, laughing.

Turning to point at Jax, Clay snarked, "And you, I know what you want!"

"What's wrong with that?" Both Jax and Jolene said at the same time causing more laughter to erupt from the crowd.

Shaking his head, Clay kissed Jolene on the forehead and guided her up to the platform, where Jolene handed her bouquet to Donna, who was standing to the left of Chief Charlie Horse. Shaking hands with Jax, Clay pulled him into a bro-hug.

"Be good to her." He said.

"I will." Jax promised.

As they waited for both Clay and Bobby to get to their seats, Jax took Jolene's hand in his and pulled her towards him. His hands cradling her face, Jax dipped his head and kissed a shocked Jolene.

"Baby, you're not supposed to kiss me yet." She smiled at the devilish look in his sparkling eyes.

"I couldn't help myself. You look amazing, darlin'."

As they pulled apart, Chief Charlie Horse smiled at them with a raised eyebrow. Addressing the guests, some sitting, some standing, Charlie Horse spoke in a deep baritone voice that carried throughout the open meadow.

"On behalf of the Wahewa, I welcome you all onto our land, our home. On behalf of Jax and Jolene, I welcome all of their family and friends from far and wide who have gathered to witness as they embark on this lifelong journey together. Jax and Jolene have asked that we keep their unity ceremony brief and, in the tradition of my people, I will bless their union with the Apache Wedding Prayer before they exchange vows and rings." Charlie Horse started.

Nodding towards Jax and Jolene to join hands, he opened his hands and held them palms up. "Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years, may happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth."

"Treat yourselves and each other with respect and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness, and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulties, and fear assail your relationship, as they threaten all relationships at one time or another, remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives, remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight."

On cue, Donna approached Jolene and handed her Jax's ring. Holding his left hand in hers as she clutched the ring to her chest, Jolene looked into her old man's eyes and smiled.

"Jax, I loved you for so long that I can't remember a time when I didn't. Our time apart nearly devastated my will to live and it was only made bearable by the beautiful life we had created together, our son Abel. I love you, Jackson and I dedicate the rest of my life to you as your wife, your lover, your friend, and mother to your children." Without breaking eye contact, Jolene slipped the ring onto his finger and continued. "Let this ring be a symbol of my commitment to you and our life together with me as your old lady."

Turning to Opie, Jax held out his hand.

Slapping his forehead, Opie whispered, "Fuck, bro, I don't have a ring."

"Ha, ha, Ope. Just give me the damn ring."

"Jax, you never gave me a ring." Opie reminded him.

About to unleash a mouthful of expletives, Jax suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to get the custom-made wedding band from Antoine, who was bringing it in from Nevada. Jax had commissioned Marguerite, the same jeweler that had created Jolene's engagement ring to create a band to match.

Jolene was looking at Jax with wide eyes as he searched the crowd for the pimp from Reno. As Jax made eye contact with the big man, it finally dawned on Antoine that he still had the ring and stood up from his seat to dig into the inside pocket of his custom-tailored black suit.

"I'm sorry, darlin'. Just give me a sec." Jax jumped down from the platform. Retrieving the ring, he hot-footed it back to his old lady.

Jolene sighed with mock relief. "I thought you were going to keep running." She teased playfully, as the crowd got another chuckle.

Grabbing her hand, Jax forgot the crowd and spoke only to his old lady and straight from the heart. "We've been through so much, Jo but starting today, whatever lies ahead, good or bad, we _will_ face it together. Distance is gonna test us from time to time, you know this, but I promise to always be faithful to you and our family because I don't know how to live without you by my side, darlin'. You keep bringing me back to life and I will love you forever." Jax was about to slip the ring onto her finger when several of his brothers started clearing their throats and coughing rather loudly.

"You're not done, brother." Opie nudged him from behind.

With a cheeky grin on his face, Jax put the ring on her finger and continued, " _And_ I promise to take care of you like I do my leather and ride you as often as I do my Harley."

The crowd erupted with catcalls, applause, and whistles and, without waiting for the go-ahead from Chief Charlie Horse, Jax pulled Jolene into his arms. Burying his hands in her hair, he kissed his wife for the first time, long and hard.

* * *

With the fairy tale wedding of a biker and his old lady at long last concluded, their friends and family could finally get down to the party to end all parties. It was the biker reality of a fairy tale reception.

With the switch from the Oswald Estate to the Wahewa reservation, the reception had received an Extreme Makeover: SAMCRO Edition by the mother of the bride and groom.

Looking at the happy faces of the new couple and their guests, Gemma came to the conclusion that Jolene's decision to switch venues had been the right call to make after all. It had been Gemma's own desire to compete with the social elite of Charming and to outdo them at their own game that had spurred her to use Elliott's home as a backdrop for the wedding.

Looking at the crowd that had assembled to watch the culmination of a love story that had been a long time in the making, Gemma realized that she had been completely wrong. At the heart of it, the MC was all about family, outlaw bikers who were unpretentious, lived their lives and loved their families and it was the simple things in life that defined them.

_And you certainly could not get any simpler than a big ol' barbeque in the great outdoors._

But despite the simplicity, Gemma had managed to put her own Martha Stewart-Diva-style spin on the reception.

Working with an event planner based in Stockton, Gemma used the natural beauty of the reservation combined with the design of the wedding ceremony area and reception to create an extremely attractive venue for the SAMCRO Royal Wedding.

Charlie Horse had been a little surprised at the full scope of the plans as they were revealed for the reception, but when Gemma assured him that everything would be removed and the large meadow returned back to its natural state, he was satisfied. Now, Gemma grinned to herself as she surveyed the final product.

 _Any of those uptight bitches in Charming couldn't have done it better_ , she thought as she crossed her arms.

Dee Henderson, of Stockton Luxury Events, was the company's top event planner. Gemma wouldn't settle for anything less. The woman, although used to creating dream weddings and events for the wealthy, was able to visualize exactly what the Queen of Charming wanted for her son and daughter's biker wedding and had pulled it off brilliantly.

The "Reception Hall" as Dee had termed it, was a sprawling 8,000 square feet of space and had been placed at the base of the lake. The entire space was set up with a hardwood floor and was covered with a series of tents. The tent poles themselves were held up with tall white columns that had trailing sparkling white and lilac colored lights that were wrapped around them. Those same lights were woven throughout the hall as ceiling lights, and at every twenty feet were joined together to hang stunning black, silver and gold chandeliers, which brightened the space and gave it a seriously rocking edge to the festivities.

The dance floor was situated in the middle of the hall, with a platform on one side where the wedding party's table was situated and on the other side was the large platform where the band was currently performing some easy listening rock tunes.

At the far end of the reception tent, Dee had managed to bring in a gleaming full-size bar that ran the full length of the hall. It was fully stocked with every type of top-shelf liquor and draft beer available. As his little contribution to the wedding planning, Clay had contacted SAMBEL and had arranged for a large shipment of 12-year old Irish whiskey to be brought state side, only to be told by its President that they had already made the arrangements as their gift to the bride and groom.

Gemma took special pride in the set up of the tables. The round tables, with alternating white and lilac tablecloths, were accented with beautiful vases of the same flowers in Jolene's bouquet, Calla Lilies and Lilac Flowers and lit candles. On each place setting was a sterling silver Zippo sporting the Reaper with the bride and groom's name and the date of their wedding underneath.

On the opposite side of the tent was the mother of all buffets. Dee Henderson had contracted Stockton's most famous brewery and BBQ house to prepare the best damn barbeque with all the fixings anyone ever had. The food was being cooked in a separate kitchen tent. Set some distance away from the Reception Hall in order to keep the smoke of the barbecuing meat away from the guests, the food was cooked and then transferred to the main hall. The servers were just waiting for the cue to officially open the buffet for business.

But finally, Gemma, knowing her outlaw Sons well, had a walkway created that circled halfway around the lake. With the walkway covered above with a tent ceiling, with one side facing the lake and the other into the many lush trees and bushes, it provided a measure of intimate areas for those guests who decided to have small private parties of their own.

All in all, Gemma felt that all of her efforts had worked out well and had no problem in accepting all of the compliments and kudos from the visiting old ladies of some of the out-of-town patches, as well as the wives of the visiting Irish.

Clay had stressed the importance to Gemma of making the wives of several of their visitors at home and Gemma had done so, and had received much in the way of compliments as to her planning skills.

Now, with the fruits of her labor of love finally come to fruition and Jax and Jolene finally bound to each other, it was Gemma's turn to kick back with her old man and enjoy the event of the year.

* * *

"All right, Abel. Are you ready to do this thing?"

"Uh huh. I'm ready. You think Mommy and Daddy are going to really like it, Uncle Elvis?" Abel asked as he scratched his head. The wig was a little tight.

"I'm telling you, son. They're going to love it." Bobby exclaimed.

* * *

Jax and Jolene were sitting at their table, which was set up on a dais across from the band and the dance floor.

There had been a steady stream of guests who had approached the couple with wishes of happiness and gifts, which they graciously and happily accepted. But now that the buffet had been opened and their guests had strapped on their feedbags, the newlyweds finally had a moment alone. With the love of his life sitting on his lap, Jax was actually starting to enjoy his reception, oblivious to the fact that it was only going to get better.

Simultaneously kissing and sucking on his old lady's neck, he had Jolene purring like a kitten, a sure sign that he had gotten her motor running. Reaching up to nibble on Jolene's ear, Jax whispered, "Let's take a walk over to your trailer, darlin'. I've been dying to see what you've got hiding underneath that gown from the moment you started walking down the aisle."

"Not much." Jolene giggled and ran her hands through his hair as Jax growled against her neck. "Think we can get away without being noticed?"

Jax was about to reply when he noticed his Best Man walk up to the platform where the band was performing and motioned for the mike. Suddenly the band stopped playing their rendition of "Mustang Sally" so that Opie could speak.

"I've been asked to introduce a special treat for the new Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Teller that has been in the making for the last couple of weeks. Please put your hands together for Bobby Elvis and Abel Teller performing "Jailhouse Rock", dedicated to Jax in the hopes that he may never end up there again."

Jolene's heart nearly jumped in her chest when from behind the columns on either side of the bandstand came her Uncle Elvis and her precious baby, both wearing pompadour wigs and matching white sequined jump suits and holding microphones.

"Holy shit!" She hollered happily as Jax wolf-whistled over the roar of the crowd.

Bobby belted out the first verse.

  
_The warden threw a party in the county jail  
_ _The prison band was there and they began to wail  
_ _The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing  
_ _You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing_  


Pointing his finger at his sidekick, Abel jumped in for the chorus, his little voice soaring above his uncle's.

  
_Let's rock  
_ _Everybody, let's rock  
_ _Everybody in the whole cell block  
_ _Was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock_  


When the potbellied biker started to shimmy and shake and Abel matched him step for step, the crowd got up on their feet to dance and cheer them on.

Finally belting out the last chorus lines together, Abel ended their rendition, kissing the palm of his hand and throwing a kiss to the entire crowd.

"Thank you and good night!"

The applause was almost deafening as Abel leaped off the stage and ran into his mother's open arms. Picking up her son, Jolene squeezed him within an inch of his life.

"Was I good, Mommy?" Abel smiled wide.

"Baby, you were so good."

Wrapping his arms around both mother and son, Jax bent over to kiss Abel on the top of his head. "I think you were better than the King himself." Jax smiled at a beaming Abel. "Definitely got his booty-shaking skills from his momma." He teased.

"Whatever, Teller." Jolene laughed. "I don't care if you do have two left feet. You still owe me a dance."

"Just as soon as we take that walk to your trailer," Jax kissed her lips. "And pigs fly out of my ass." He smiled, barely dodging Jolene's balled up fist.

Clay, who had been sitting at a table near the dance floor with the Irish Kings, was beaming with pride as the crowd settled down and everyone turned their attention back to drinking and partying.

"You have a beautiful family, Clay. God bless." Declan Brogan raised his glass of whiskey before the men sitting at the table downed their drinks.

Brogan, in his mid-50's, was the unofficial spokesman for the Kings. Although members of the RIRA and directly responsible for raising funds for the Cause, the Irish Kings were Belfast's version of old fashioned New York mobsters. The Redheaded Godfathers, as Clay called them, ran a syndicate of organized crime that, in addition to arms dealing, included gambling and prostitution, all in the name of a united Ireland. In their custom-tailored shirts and expensive designer suits, the Irish Kings made Michael McKeavey, a high-level leader in the RIRA, seem like a lowly foot solider.

"I am a lucky man," Clay started. "Especially since I have only _one_ daughter. Who knew they could be such handfuls?"

"Ah, who you talkin' to, my ol' friend? Between us," Brogan laughed, indicating his counterparts Peter Dooley and Brendan Rourke. "We have fourteen daughters."

"I feel your pain." Clay said solemnly as all men shared a laugh.

Catching Jax's attention, Clay motioned for his VP to join him at the table.

Leaving his new wife and son on the dance floor, Jax made his way over to Clay and their guests from across the pond. He shook hands with each man before Brogan pulled Jax towards him and stuffed an envelope bloated with cash into the inside pocket of his cut.

"Just a small gift for you and your beautiful bride." Brogan slapped Jax on the shoulder as he shook his hand.

"Thank you, Declan." Jax smiled. Taking a seat on Clay's right, Jax accepted the shot of whiskey Dooley poured for him.

"It's a shame Michael couldn't be here today, but duty called him back to Belfast sooner than expected." Brogan started, referring to Michael McKeavey. "He speaks very highly of you, Jackson."

"He should." Clay interjected. "Jax was the brain behind several ventures which have proven quite lucrative for the MC as well as the Cause."

"Like father, like son." Rourke declared. "John was a savvy businessman himself."

"Yes he was." Brogan replied. "Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the Cause is not suffering for money at the moment, but we have had several set backs in recent months."

"So we heard." Jax said, remembering the conversation they had with McKeavey only two days before. "Trouble within the ranks."

Brogan shook his head sadly. "That's what happens when the ranks have been bloated with young men who have joined the Cause for all the wrong reasons."

"Recruitment is down. The average age of active members twenty years ago was 28. Now it's nearly double that. With the old guard getting old, there's no telling where our organization is headed in the next ten years." Dooley commented.

"The young blood recruited nowadays have a skewed perception of the organization. It's not about making fast money, as many have been promised by unethical recruiters, but is rooted in the firm belief and desire for a free and united Ireland." Rourke explained.

"Sounds like you have an internal problem." Clay commented.

"Yes, we do. Fifteen is the average age of new recruits and our casualties have almost tripled in the past year. Dishonesty in recruiting and lack of training are to blame." Brogan continued. "The High Council is rightly concerned that the Cause will suffer the backlash of a concerned citizenry who do not want a whole generation of young men wiped off the face of the earth, especially when they no longer care to understand what we are fighting for."

"And that is where the danger lies, my friend. Once money becomes the reason to take up arms, you're dealing with an army of mercenaries." Clay advised.

"Which may not be a bad thing if you have an never-ending cash flow," Jax added. "But once that tap runs dry, loyalties will shift."

"Absolutely, and we've already experienced the shifting of priorities first hand," Brogan said. "But that's for the High Council to deal with. Right now, we are here to celebrate. Cheers!" He raised his shot of whiskey to Jax.

"Cheers!" Raising their glasses, all the men simultaneously drained their shots as Jax made a mental note to discuss with his President what impact, if any, the RIRA's troubles could mean to SAMCRO.

* * *

Jax was sitting with a group of his brothers and some members of the Devil's Tribe, including his Uncle Jury. Instead of heading to Indian Hills on a run to deliver a shipment of merch, Jax was delegating some of his duties to Kozik and Happy, both on loan from Tacoma. As far as Jolene was concerned, the plan was for the newlyweds to spend the night in Charming, with Jax and the Club hitting the road early in the morning. Under the impression that their honeymoon was postponed until school let out for the Summer, Jolene had no idea that Jax had made arrangements to spend the week not in Nevada, but in Tahoe, just the two of them. With Clay staying put in Charming in order to enjoy his uninterrupted time with Abel, Jax was satisfied that Opie was ready to take lead during the run.

It had been a long day and Jax could see from clear across the reception hall that his old lady was fading fast. Deciding to steal his bride and head home instead of to the trailer, Jax said good night to his brothers. Heading towards the bridal table where Jolene was engrossed in a conversation with Ronnie and Donna, Jax first made a pit stop at the bandstand, slipping the lead singer a hundred dollar bill after a quick and discreet conversation.

Perking up as her old man approached, Jolene jumped up from the table and wrapped her arms around Jax's neck.

"What time are you hitting the road in the morning?" Jolene asked as Jax pulled her flush against him.

"Eight a.m." He smiled, prompting Jolene to quirk an eyebrow at the mischievous look in his eyes.

"Can we go home then? I want some alone time with my _husband_ before he leaves me for a week."

"You just read my mind, darlin'." Jax grabbed her hand and led her away from the bridal table and the exit.

"Jax, the exit is this way." Jolene pointed with her free hand.

"I know." He replied simply, not stopping until they reached the middle of the dance floor. Jolene was looking at him with wide eyes as the band started playing Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing."

"Oh my God." Jolene almost whispered as Jax pulled her towards him, wrapping an arm around her waist while holding her right hand with the other.

"Yeah, yeah," Jax smiled as he first pressed a kiss then his cheek against her sweet-smelling hair. "I can dance. I just choose not to."

  
_I don't want to miss one smile_   
_I don't want to miss one kiss_   
_I just want to be with you_   
_Right here with you, just like this_   


  _I just want to hold you close_  
 _Feel your heart so close to mine_  
 _And just stay here in this moment_  
 _For all the rest of time_

  _I don't want to close my eyes_  
 _I don't want to fall asleep_  
 _Cause I'd miss you babe_  
 _And I don't want to miss a thing_

Jolene closed her eyes, her head resting against his chest, and inhaled his familiar manly scent of sandalwood and leather. "I can't believe you're doing this, Jax."

"Only for you, darlin'." Jax nudged her chin up and kissed her tenderly on the lips as they swayed to the music.

_Life can't get any better than this._

  _ **T**_ _ **o Be Continued** _  



End file.
